


What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)

by LadyofParchments



Category: Alien vs Predator
Genre: F/M, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-04-13 05:54:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 61,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4510344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyofParchments/pseuds/LadyofParchments
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: One  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.  
> Word Count: 5266

# Chapter 1

It was pitch black outside the library windows… well, except for the party going on three blocks down on “Greek Street”. Pursing my lips, I glared out at the partiers, thinking, _‘It was just Fall Break, why aren’t any of them trying to rush through schoolwork they didn’t do over vacation?’_ With a sigh, I returned to my book, Frankenstein. Of course, what else would one read on Halloween night?

Just when the doctor’s creation was about to strike Dr. Frankenstein’s wife, a hand touched my shoulder. Shrieking, I nearly jumped out of my chair as a calming voice asked, “Mya, what on Earth are you still doing here?”

Turning to the one who practically scared the crap out of me, I looked up to find Mrs. Henderson, one of the campus librarians. I inhaled several times to slow down my rapid heart rate before answering, “I was just reading, Mrs. Henderson.”

“I can see that, dear. It’s what you’re typically doing in the library whenever I find you,” she told me, smiling. “But it’s Halloween, you should be out at a party having fun.”

“But this is fun. I’m not really the party type anyway… too many people doing God knows what, at least in my opinion.”

“Oh, I don’t mean the ‘Greek’ party. Just a get-together where you and friends can wear costumes and eat homemade treats.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the motherly librarian. Mrs. Henderson was one of the best librarians at my university because she always made everyone feel welcome in the central library. Plus she always let me stay later than closing time. However, since it was Halloween, she was going to close the library at 9 p.m., two hours earlier than usual. 

“Well… my roommates are at a party, and they’re my closest friends that are in town,” I said, looking back at my book. “Plus, I just love classic ‘horror’ books like **Frankenstein** and **Dracula**.” 

“All right, I’ll close up the library and let Officer Johnson know that you’ll be leaving in a little while,” Mrs. Henderson smiled, patting my hand. “Just be sure to check for other stragglers, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I nodded, watching her head back to her office. Then, I promptly returned to my book. It was getting too good to stop now.

***

About half an hour later, I closed the book and stretched my arms into the air. t was time to go and ‘check for stragglers’ though I really doubted anyone would be in the library besides me. I really was a professional bookworm; good thing I was studying for my Master’s in Library Science. _‘Nothing like making a career out of doing what you love,’_ I thought, scooting the chair back and getting up.

Replacing the book, I walked around the first floor, checking for anyone else that might be in the library. No one was in the meeting rooms or the video rooms. I moved to the elevator and slowly pressed the B button. Twisting my mouth to the side, I really didn’t like going to the basement level at night… not just because it was Halloween. It was just a creepy place. But I knew I had to get used to it since who knows what sort of library I’d be working at in the future.

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped on allowing the doors to slide shut. I reached the basement level, but when the doors slid open, I chickened out. Peeking outside, I called, “Anyone here? If there’s anybody down here, the library is closed!” No one answered, so I felt no need to further explore the level. 

Pressing the 2 for the second floor, I felt much more at ease with all the DVDs and VHS tapes. Walking through the rows, I called out to see if anyone was there. I passed by the sci-fi area, noticing that several of the ‘Alien’ films had been checked out…most likely for a monster movie marathon or something like that. 

My eyes fell on one that I hadn’t seen in a long while. The caption read “If it bleeds we can kill it.” Snorting, I thought, _‘Yeah right, after losing all your team, Ah-nold. But that’s what you get for messing with someone else’s hunt.’_ I had seen all three movies and how could I not appreciate the so-called “villain”? The reasoning behind the destruction he caused was logical unlike ‘slasher’ films with no point to the killing. It was one of the first ‘Sci-Fi horror’ movies I could watch without wanting to fast forward or change the channel. 

Shaking my head, I moved back to the elevator and pressed the 3 for the third and final floor of the library. The doors slid open once more, and I strode out into the dark level. After closing time, the only lights on were the ones closest to the elevator on each floor. I moved to one of the rows and called to see if anyone was there.

Then, I stopped in the study area near one of the large windows. Looking out into the darkness, I thought the oak tree was leaning closer to the building. I closed my eyes and slowly opened them, allowing my sight to adjust to the blackness. My brow scrunched up as I saw the tree still leaning… dangerously close.

Suddenly, something large crashed through the window, and I screamed before ducking and covering my head. Shattered glass flew everywhere, and I felt several pieces bounce off my back to land around me. There was another sound…it was like a growl but mixed with a crackling sound like electricity. 

A moment passed, and I felt my breathing calm down before raising my head to look around the room. The window was now a large hole in the wall, and several tables had been shoved away from their places by the window. Blinking, I stood and slowly walked to where whatever I saw had landed. There was something lying partially under one of the tables, and I leaned down to examine it. Blue lightning crackled along the body, and I wondered if it had somehow been electrocuted. But there weren’t any power lines on this side of the building, so I dismissed that idea. 

Then, my eyes widened as I looked at the huge, human-like body and saw armor spaced along the torso, legs and pelvis. Long, black, almost dreadlock-like hair fanned about his shoulders… his body structure clearly screamed out power and masculinity. A metal mask hid his face. It all seemed too familiar, and I swallowed as I approached his still form. 

“If this is some sort of Halloween prank, I’m not laughing and neither will anyone else when I find out who did it,” I whispered to myself, leaning over his torso. 

Lightly grasping the mask, it felt real; cold, smooth metal. I tried to lift it up, but I was surprised when it didn’t move. And that was what sent a shiver down my spine. Backing up a few steps, I thought, _‘Oh, God… this can’t be… he’s not… oh, my God!’_ I never believed the movies could be real, and they weren’t supposed to be. But lying before me was… it had to be… a Predator, a Yautja. 

My eyes darted down when I saw his hand twitch as though clutching something or trying to clench a fist. That’s when I noticed small rivers of green flowing down his forearm and thigh. He’d been wounded, but I didn’t see any glass shards with blood on them. It looked as though he’d either been stabbed or shot.

“Hey! Did you see where it went?” A man’s voice called from outside the window. My head shot up, and I bent down slowly stepping around the huge alien to peek just over the pane. Below on the library lawn was a small group of four men. All of them carried small firearms, and I ducked down when I saw one look up.

“There! It had to have gone inside the building!” A different voice shouted. “Let’s move!”

_‘This bunch can’t be that bright if they’re announcing what they’ve seen and what their plans are,’_ I thought, rolling my eyes before looking at the Yautja. He was still moving, slowly waking, and I wondered if I should be the one here when he did fully wake up. Shaking my head, I remembered that I hadn’t attacked him; I was virtually defenseless and harmless.

What I also knew was that those men would try to enter the library and that I needed to get the Yautja to safety. My conscience was working overtime if I felt the need to help a being that knew how to handle situations worse than this. Gently, I placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him to wake up faster. “Hey! You need to get up so we can get you out of here!” I hissed to him.

A soft growl rumbled through the massive chest, and he shook his head as he sat up. Then, he faced me directly, his right hand clenched as his wrist blades flew out. Gasping, I held up my hands, calmly saying, “Please… there’s no need for that. I’m trying to help you.”

Tilting his head to the side in an almost questioning manner, he seemed to relax a little as the blades retracted back. I closed my eyes in relief for a moment before asking, “Can you get up by yourself?”

Apparently, he understood me enough to slowly rise, but he leaned dangerously to the right, favoring his injured leg. I reached out to him slowly and grasped his left arm. Almost immediately, he yanked it out of my hands, growling low in his chest. But that was a mistake as he lost his balance for a moment and sank to one knee. 

“You need help,” I told him quietly. “Just let me get you to a safe place.”

He made a clicking sound before nodding, and I wrapped his arm around my shoulders. We rose together, and I led him to the elevator, pressing the B. Swallowing, I thought it ironic that the one place in the library that freaked me out was the place where I could hide him. The doors slid open, and we limped onto the elevator allowing the doors to close.

In the light on the elevator, I was able to examine him even more closely. He was huge, about seven-and-a-half-feet tall with massive shoulders. His skin was almost a creamy sort of green with darker mottled places along his arms and legs. The armor and mask he wore were a dark silver, almost gray color. He was even more impressive, and imposing, than what I expected. 

When the elevator stopped and the doors slid open, I helped him into the dark basement. I left him leaning against one of the tables so I could go to the first aid kit to see what could help. Opening the kit, I frowned that there was only one roll of gauze, but I grabbed it and half a dozen separate gauze bandages. 

Moving back to the Yautja, he watched me as I ripped open the bandages and placed two against the wound on his arm. It seemed as though he understood I was trying to help him since he didn’t move away or try to stop me. I wrapped the cloth gauze around the bandages, tying it tight to hopefully stop any further bleeding. Then, I did the same with the two wounds on his leg, wrapping more gauze around those since they seemed to be the worst. I knew it was only a temporary solution until I could get him to another location, but it would have to do. 

Clenching my hands, I brought them to my forehead, thinking, _‘What the hell do you think you’re doing, Mya?! You’re helping a seven-and-a-half-foot tall alien who shouldn’t exist!’_ Hearing a trilling noise, I looked up to find him staring at me with a slightly perplexed look… at least from what I could tell despite his mask. _‘But he is real… I mean, he’s standing right in front of me.’_

With a sigh, I lowered my hands and said, “Wait here until I come back. Please, do not leave this level.”

When he trilled again, I took it as a sign that he was listening, and I went back to the elevator. Pressing the 1, I went up to the first level and, to my lack of surprise, I found the four men standing at the glass doors. One of them rapped against the glass, and I gave him a convincing look of confusion. Walking over to the door, I said, “Sorry, the library’s closed.”

“We just wanted to check on something on the upper level, miss,” the one who tapped the glass said. 

Shrugging my shoulders, I told him, “I would, but the doors are locked and I don’t have a key.”

“Isn’t there a side door or something?” he asked, frowning.

“Forget that! Just let us inside now!” The man standing to the left of the first yelled, baring his teeth at me. 

Glaring at them, I said, “I don’t know why you need inside, but I’m sorry. The library is closed.”

“Is there a problem here, gentlemen?” A calm voice said from behind the four. Looking up, I smiled at Officer Johnson as he stared at the men gathered in front of the library. Even though he was an older man, Officer Johnson was built like a brick wall and over six feet tall. He could still intimidate others with a look. “Are these men harassing you, young lady?”

“No, Officer, I think they were just leaving,” I told him, glancing at the first man who spoke to me. 

“Uh, yes, sir, we were going,” he agreed, nodding hesitantly. “Come on, men. Let’s move along.”

“But, sir, what about…?” The second man was silenced by the bark of the first.

“We are moving along. Now, move!”

All four turned around and headed down the street away from the library. I hoped they were heading off-campus, and my hopes were confirmed when Officer Johnson said,

“I think I’ll make sure those gentlemen make it safely away from the university. Mya, I trust you’ll be leaving soon?”

“Of course, Officer Johnson. Thanks for your help,” I said, smiling brightly. 

“You’re a good girl, Mya, that’s the only reason I allow this. Just make sure to get home safe.”

Waving, I watched him disappear after the four men before sighing and saying, “And the Oscar goes to Mya for her convincing performance of a girl who doesn’t know anything in regards to anyone!” I snorted at my joke before heading back to the elevator and pressing the B. 

In the basement, I found the Yautja waiting patiently… or at least as patient as a Yautja could wait. He was looking over something on his right gauntlet, but whatever it was disappeared as he turned to face me. Giving him a small smile, I said, “The men who were after you are being… escorted away from here. But I don’t think you can stay in the library. They might come looking for you again, and there’s already been enough damage to the building.”

Groaning, I slapped a hand over my eyes wondering what Mrs. Henderson would think once she saw the damage. The library was her pride, her joy! And look at what this… alien did to it. Granted it wasn’t his fault; he was only trying to escape those guys. Just doing what was natural. Inhaling, I knew that even if I told Mrs. Henderson the whole story, she wouldn’t believe it. I’d just have to come up with something later… since I had another more immediate problem on hand. 

Removing my hand, I looked at the Yautja once more as he stared at me through the cold eyes of his mask. I sighed and rechecked his bandages, making sure none of them had come loose in the time I was gone. He remained still as I did this, just turning his head to follow my movements. It was a little unnerving being under his scrutiny, but I had brought this on myself.

When I made sure his bandages were still doing their job, I stood in front of him, saying, “I’m going to take you to a safe place. You’re going to have to trust me, and I’m going to trust you. Will you do that… please?”

He tilted his head to the side as though in question, and I almost wanted to giggle since he just looked so… different when he did that. He didn’t seem as threatening… but part of me knew I still needed to be wary of him. I tilted my head to mirror his motion, and he nodded his head slowly. 

To my surprise, the Yautja wrapped his left arm around my shoulders, leaning on me as I grasped his arm. I assumed he was trying to trust me, and I didn’t question it as we made our way to the elevator again. We got off at the first level, and slowly walked to the side door. Truthfully, it was slow by Yautja standards since I was taking regular strides to his half-strides. 

Outside the library, I looked around, making sure there were no people to see us leave the building. We were kind of hard to miss, but since it was Halloween, I prayed they thought he was just a tall guy in a costume. Walking across campus to the bus stop was no trouble. Most likely everyone on campus was either at the Greek party or asleep in their dorm rooms. 

Arriving just as the bus pulled up, I heard a low growl come from the big Yautja’s chest as his body tensed upon seeing the huge vehicle. I gently patted his hand, hoping that would soothe him. He glanced down at me and relaxed just a little until the doors hissed open. 

Somehow, his invisibility armor must have been damaged in the crash since it wasn’t activated… either that or he didn’t use it out of trust. But this was the ultimate test since the driver would definitely see him. Biting my lower lip, I helped the Yautja step on the bus which groaned under our combined weight. We took the back seat, and I caught the driver eying my large companion. To my relief, he chuckled, saying, “That is one amazing costume. Your boyfriend really gets into Halloween, doesn’t he?”

“He does at that, but he’s not my boyfriend,” I answered, exhaling a long breath.

“Well, you’re holding him awfully close then, aren’t you?” The driver laughed and winked at me. 

I gave a small chuckle before glancing at the Yautja. He looked like he was out of it, shaking his head as though trying to clear it. I wondered if his wounds were finally getting to him, but this was no time to check them. It would have to wait until we got to my apartment. _‘Oh, Lord…I’ll have such a time trying to explain him to my roommates,’_ I thought with another groan. 

Slumping down, I lowered my head and closed my eyes. I was just getting into all sorts of trouble tonight… somehow it made sense that it was Halloween night that gave me such trouble. There was a weight on my shoulder, and I looked up to see the Yautja looking down at me. He clicked softly, and I wondered if he was concerned about me. I tilted my head in much the same way he did, saying quietly, “I’m okay… just tired.”

***

The bus ride to my apartment complex was very quiet. Considering it was well after dark, I wasn’t really surprised there weren’t anymore passengers than my alien companion and me. Most people avoided the night bus since it went here, there, and yonder. But I was glad to use public transportation when I could especially since it went right by my apartment.

When the driver stopped the bus, I stood and waited to see if the Yautja could stand alone. He did make it to his feet but stumbled a little, steadying his body against one of the seats. I grasped his arm, wrapping it around my shoulders, and we walked down the steps to the sidewalk. Somehow we made it up the stairs to my apartment on the third floor without too much trouble.

Opening the door, I called inside to see if my roommates were back from their party. No one answered, and I hurried my guest into the apartment. Closing and locking the door, I turned to find him limping slowly into the larger area of the living room. He raised a hand to the mask and slowly removed it from his face. Then, he turned towards me, and I saw his fierce visage. Four mandibles crossed over his mouth, and a pair of bright green eyes stared at me. I walked over to him slowly and looked over his wounds. The one on his lower thigh had begun bleeding a little, and small spots of green blood dotted our carpet. 

Touching his arm, I motioned for him to follow me into the bathroom across from my bedroom. He entered the room just behind me, and I showed him where to stand in the tub. At least his blood could be rinsed down the drain in here. 

Suddenly, I heard the door being unlocked, and I quickly closed the bathroom door. Then, the telltale sign that my roommates had arrived came. 

“Meeeee-yaaaaaa! We’re hooo-oooome!” Cassie’s singsong voice rang through the apartment.

“Ok, that’s fine! I’m in the bathroom, don’t bother to check on me!” I called back, gritting my teeth as I stared at the otherworldly being standing in the tub. He had pulled something from his belt… maybe it was his medical kit? I didn’t know what he was going to do, that is until I saw the tool that looked like pliers. Then, he bent down and tried to shove it into his wounded flesh, drawing a pain-filled growl from him.

“Geez, Mya, if you’re having that much trouble, why don’t you just eat more fiber?” I heard Cassie’s voice from the other side of the bathroom door. 

Rolling my eyes, I stepped over and grasped the tool, saying, “Give me that! I can help you get the bullets out.”

A low growl was his reply, but I stood my ground, refusing to let go of the pliers while glaring at him. I tried to growl back, but all that did was surprise him as he tilted his head and trilled in what I assumed was laughter. “Yeah, yeah, shush!” I hushed him, pulling the pliers from his grasp. Moving to one of the wounds on his leg, I tried to position the tool properly. I swallowed as he stopped laughing and stared down at me.

Glancing up at him, I knew this would hurt him and he would most likely growl again if not bellow. But it had to be done, and he seemed to brace his body against the tile wall. With one more moment of hesitation, I shoved the tool inside the wound and felt it hit something. The bullet wasn’t embedded that far, and I pulled apart the pliers to get a grip on the foreign object. All this time, I heard him hissing and growling, and his claws scraped harshly against the wall. Cringing from the awful sound, I gripped the tool with both hands and yanked as hard as I could.

The bullet came out, but the force sent me sprawling back against the counter. My guest released a horrible roar of pain, and I had to cover my ears from the sound. 

“Mya, what the hell’s going on in there?” Cassie’s voice asked from outside the door.

“Uh… nothing, Cassie, everything’s fine!” I lied, hoping she’d buy it.

She didn’t. Immediately, the door opened and Cassie marched in, saying, “It doesn’t sound like… no… thing…” My roommate stopped her sentence as her eyes grew wide after seeing what was in the tub. I looked at my roommate from my place on the floor, and the Yautja met her stare. She blinked several times before calling, “Leah!”

“Yes?” My other roommate asked as I heard her come through the living room towards the second bathroom. Then, I saw Leah’s slightly shorter frame appear from around Cassie. She looked at Cassie, then me, and then turned to look at what Cassie was staring at.

“What… is that?” Cassie asked outright, backing a little away from the tub only to stop next to Leah.

“Mya, I’d say you’ve gone too far with your fandom,” Leah added, still looking at the huge alien in the spare bathroom. “If you’re going to bring a boyfriend home, you don’t have to put him in costume.”

“Guys, he’s not my boyfriend!” I told them, rising to my feet and frowning at them. “And that’s not a costume. He’s the real thing. Look at his wounds! How can you fake that?”

Leah gave me a hard, inspecting look before walking further into the bathroom towards the tub. The Yautja just stood his ground, still holding the wound where I had just removed the bullet. He was bleeding pretty freely, and I opened the cabinet to bring out more bandages. Handing Leah the old bandages covered with his blood, I pressed several against the wound and tied it off again. 

“Now, there are two more wounds to take care of.” I turned to face my roommates. “If you don’t want to help me, then just stay out of the bathroom.”

Neither of them moved; Leah still stood next to me holding the bandages with dried green fluorescent blood and Cassie just moved to the doorway. I gave the fresh bandages to Leah and turned back to the Yautja who was still looking around at the three of us. Patting his hand, I said, “It’s all right. They’re my friends… sisters practically, especially when they’re being pains like this.”

“Hey, we didn’t ask you to bring in a two-ton alien,” Cassie stated, sticking her tongue out at me. 

“If he were two tons, I couldn’t have helped him up here,” I told her, giving her my ‘freaky look’ as she called it where I just smiled like the Cheshire cat. 

“Stop it, Mya!” 

“Why don’t you explain what happened from the beginning?” Leah suggested, getting between Cassie and me. 

After pulling out the last two bullets (to which I received two more, powerful roars) and explaining the situation to Leah and Cassie, the three of us settled onto the futon. Our guest, having been bandaged, was inspecting the entirety of the living/dining room. My roommates just stared at him walking around our home, and Cassie asked, “Can’t you get it to leave, Mya?”

“Cassie, he’s not an ‘it’. And he’s hurt,” I told her, still looking over the rather crudely wrapped wounds. “Besides what about those men who were after him on campus? They might come back.”

“Well… have you ever thought that maybe that’s for the best?” she whispered to me. “He could be dangerous.”

“Of course he’s dangerous, Cassandra, but that doesn’t mean he’d hurt us, right, Mya? We haven’t done anything except help him,” Leah said in my defense. “You know when Mya’s mind is made up, it can’t be changed.”

Gazing at our guest, he tried to open our balcony door, which was locked, and when it didn’t open, he growled. Before he could put more effort into it, I jumped from the futon and grabbed his arm, saying, “Hold on, it’s locked. Don’t pull it off the hinges.” 

Reaching around him, I twisted the knob and opened the door to walk out on the balcony. He followed me, and I watched him place a clawed hand on the railing and look around the dark sky. There really wasn’t much to see besides the cityscape in the distance. A cluster of trees shielded the complex from the shopping center not two minutes away. I wondered what he was looking for, but I couldn’t really ask him. 

A cold wind gusted around the complex, and I shivered a little to get warm. His body shook some, and I could understand why. I mean he was practically naked except for the coverings from his waist down and the armor shielding his shoulders. Turning back to the door, I walked inside and waited until he chose to come with me. 

Closing and locking the door, I looked at my roommates and noticed them staring away from me. Turning my head, I saw him slowly sit on the floor, and a sigh made his shoulders slump. He groaned and brought a hand to his head before shaking it, sending his dreadlocks flying about his wide shoulders. 

“Is something wrong with him?” Leah asked, standing up and coming over to me.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “He did lose a lot of blood and crashed through the window of a three-story building. Who knows how long he was running to try and escape before that?”

“Whatever, just make sure he doesn’t go where he shouldn’t go in our apartment,” Cassie said, getting up from the futon and heading for her room next to Leah’s. 

“Maybe I should get a blanket,” I thought out loud, still watching him take deeper breaths. He seemed exhausted, but I wasn’t sure how I could help him anymore. “That might make him more comfortable.”

“Possibly,” Leah agreed. “Well, I need to get to bed. I’ve got a meeting tomorrow morning. You should probably get to bed soon, too, Mya. After what you’ve been through today, you’ll need the rest.”

Nodding, I smiled in her direction before Leah walked into her room. Then, I returned to the present matter, which had actually leaned back against the wall with his eyes closed. He looked like he was asleep, so I went to the hall closet and brought out a large, thick blanket. We did tend to keep the apartment cooler during autumn and winter. Draping it over his body, I gently tucked it behind his shoulders and turned off the lamps. 

Then, I heard something from his direction and went back to his side. My brow furrowed as I didn’t hear anything at first, but then, there it was again. He was trying to speak, at least that’s what I thought. 

“What was that?” I asked him softly.

“Thank… you…” he repeated, his eyes opening and looking right into mine. 

“You’re… you’re welcome,” I told him, blinking in surprise that he said anything at all. Then, I thought it would be strange to just call him ‘he’ or ‘him’, so I bit my lower lip and said, “I’m ‘Mya’… what’s your name?”

He slowly blinked and tilted his head to the side as though confused, and I tried to figure out how to ask in another way. Placing a hand on my chest, I said, “Mya.” Then, I pointed at him, asking, “You are…?”

Nodding, he said, “Tor’ac.”

“Tor’ac… sleep well,” I told him as he closed his eyes once more, and his breathing slowed. As I walked into my bedroom, I wondered just what trouble I had brought on my home and my friends. But what was done couldn’t be changed, and I would have to take whatever was brought to me… without regret. I had helped someone who needed help, and I couldn’t regret doing that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: Two  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.  
> Word Count: 2949

# Chapter 2

Sleep didn’t come easily, but when I finally fell into a somewhat peaceful slumber, I was out until mid-morning. In the recesses of my mind, I heard a growl and then someone screeching, most likely Cassie, and I forced my eyes open. Getting out of bed, I walked outside in pajama pants and a T-shirt to find Cassie shoving Tor’ac outside of the bathroom, shouting, “Just wait your turn! Don’t you know that girls have to freshen up? Geez!”

“Cassie, take it easy, and keep your voice down,” I told her, rubbing my eyes. “Tor’ac didn’t know any better. All he knows is that the room’s a bathroom.”

“Well, I’m sorry, but he can use the other one,” she said, closing and locking the door.

Tor’ac growled lowly and shook his head before turning towards me and slowly moved back so I could pass. Walking by him, I motioned him to follow me into the bathroom just inside Leah’s room. He nodded and entered, already starting to pull up the armor and cloth covering his nether regions. Hastily, I closed the door and thought, _‘Modest he’s not.’_ Shaking my head, I went into the kitchen to make breakfast.

I was sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal when Tor’ac came out of Leah’s bathroom and stood just inside the living room. Glancing at him, I pointed at my food and asked, “Are you hungry, Tor’ac?”

Tilting his head slightly, Tor’ac slowly approached and bent down to look at the bowl. Apparently, he was inspecting my food, and he inhaled and shook his head.  
Several of his dreadlocks hit me softly, and I twisted my mouth to the side, saying, “Hey! Tor’ac, be careful.” 

He rolled his eyes and clicked at my protest, and I could almost swear he was saying, ‘That couldn’t have hurt you much.’ 

Raising an eyebrow at his action, I shook my head before continuing to eat my cereal. I had one class this afternoon, and I wanted to be able to go by the gym before that time. Then, I stopped and glanced at Tor’ac as he milled around the room, looking over the various bookshelves. Sighing, I knew I couldn’t just leave him here with Cassie and Leah. Well, Leah might not mind keeping an eye on him, and Cassie had two classes today. Still, I didn’t want to burden either of them. 

Once again, he was trying to get out onto the balcony… in broad daylight! I stood up and walked to his side, shaking my head and saying, “No, Tor’ac. It wouldn’t be a good idea to go outside.”

He gave a short growl and grunted before tapping his talons against the gauntlet on his left wrist. Instantly, Tor’ac vanished from my sight… at least until he moved. I could see the air shuddering as though something were moving, but if he remained still, I had trouble placing his location. However, I soon heard another crackling sound like I heard the night before, and Tor’ac reappeared. 

Growling, he tried tapping on his gauntlet again, but it didn’t work. Tor’ac removed the gauntlet and began inspecting it, turning it over in his large hands. Finally, he huffed and stomped over to the dining area, setting the gauntlet on the table near my bowl of cereal. Then, he crossed his arms across his chest, tapping one talon against his forearm. 

I knew he was frustrated with the device on his gauntlet, but there was nothing I could do to help there. It was his technology, and Tor’ac was the only one with any knowledge on that. Sighing, I returned to the table and finished my cereal, looking up every so often at Tor’ac as he stared at the gauntlet. Then, I saw him look at the balcony and step towards the door, but he stopped when I asked, “Tor’ac, do you want someone to see you?”

The Yautja glanced at me before huffing and walking to the window to look outside through the blinds. He sighed, and I began to feel bad about confining him here. It almost seemed like he was a caged bird… a very, very **large** caged bird, but still. Shaking my head, I knew it was too risky for him to go outside at least during the day. Plus, his wounds were still healing, so he couldn’t really move around too much without opening one. 

Thinking for a moment, I wondered how I could help Tor’ac without changing my daily schedule too much. At that time, Cassie left the bathroom and looked over at the Yautja before asking, “Mya, are you going to the gym today?”

“Hmmm?” I said, glancing up at my roommate. “No, I don’t think I feel up to it today, Cassie. You go without me.”

“All right then, just checking to be sure,” she said with a smile. Then, she frowned a little, asking, “What are you going to do about… what did you call him before?”

“Tor’ac. It’s his name.” He confirmed my statement by turning his head to look at the two of us before returning to his vigil by the window.

“Well, anyways, what are you planning to do with him? Is he going to stay with us for long?” she asked.

“I don’t know, Cassie. It could be a few days or it could be longer.” I inhaled and released my breath. “We’ll just have to wait.”

“You’d just better lay some ground rules for him when you get around to talking. I don’t want him sneaking up on any of us while we’re in the bathroom like he tried to do today.”

Giggling, I bit my lower lip as Cassie glared at me. “Sorry, Cassie, it’s just a little funny.”

“Yeah, laugh it up until he walks in on you in the shower. Then, we’ll see who’s laughing,” she said, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “Anyway, I have to get to the gym before class. I’ll see you sometime this evening, k?”

“Okay, be careful and good luck with class,” I called as she walked out the front door.

After I rinsed my bowl and put it in the dishwasher, I walked into my room and partially shut the door. I was just lifting my shirt over my stomach when I saw Tor’ac push the door open and come into the room after me. Pulling my shirt down fast, I cried, “Ack! Tor’ac! What are you doing?!” 

He tilted his head and gave me an odd look, and I stomped over to him. Facing the door, I looked at Tor’ac to be sure he was paying attention, and I tapped my knuckle on the door.

“That’s what we do before going into another room, especially one of the bedrooms, Tor’ac,” I told him, firmly. “Knock, and then if you receive an answer, enter. Do you understand?” 

Tor’ac glanced from me to the door, then raised a huge hand and soundly knocked twice on the wood. The sound made me jump, but I couldn’t fault him if he was trying to understand. Sighing, I nodded my head and then promptly showed him the door. “Now, please go outside… I mean the living room! I need to get dressed for the day. I’ve got class this afternoon, and I’d like to change clothes without giving a show.”

Although he still looked confused, Tor’ac left my bedroom, and I closed the door all the way. Inhaling, I couldn’t believe he actually followed me inside my room. I suppose he was just checking on me… or maybe he felt he should stay with at least one of us and with Leah at her meeting and Cassie on her way to the gym, I was it. Placing a hand on my head, I ran my fingers through my long hair before heading to my dresser. 

It didn’t take too long for me to get dressed, but I wanted to have a little time to fix my long hair. I brushed it thoroughly and then looked in the mirror to see what I wanted to do. Twisting it up, I used a large clip to hold it in place and turned my head to the side to look at it. Then, I heard a short growl before a crying sound came from the living room which automatically worried me. 

Opening my door, I halted in my tracks to find Tor’ac holding the futon/sofa up, and he was looking down at the small, black form that was Leah’s cat, Katerina or ‘Kat’ for short. She was huddled into a small ball and meowed again as Tor’ac bent down and reached for her. I yelled, “TOR’AC, NO!” I think the force of my voice startled him a little as he turned his head to look at me, giving me an odd look of confusion.

Striding over to where he held the sofa up with one hand, I bent down and lifted Kat into my arms, sheltering her from him. She made a small cry, but she didn’t try to escape from me. “Tor’ac, this is Leah’s cat, our _pet_. She is _not_ food,” I told him firmly, pursing my lips. 

“Peht?” he tried to repeat, tilting his head to the side. 

Sighing, I couldn’t help but smile when he did that, and I knew I couldn’t stay mad or upset. I nodded, then pointed to the futon he held by one hand, saying, “Now, put the sofa down.” Tor’ac looked at the piece of furniture which he held up so effortlessly and lowered it to the carpet. 

Smiling a little, I began petting Kat, scratching just behind her ears where she really loved to be scratched. She closed her green eyes and purred while rubbing her head against my hand. This apparently attracted Tor’ac’s attention as he stepped closer to me and examined the feline in my arms. He clicked softly at me, I think trying to ask what was going on. And then, he did something I’d never heard before. A soft purr came from his chest, and I stepped back not sure what to make of that sound. 

Tor’ac tilted his head to the side and stopped purring as he looked at me. It was just… weird, hearing a sound like that from him. Swallowing, I returned to where I stood before and softly brushed my hand from Kat’s head to her backside. 

“She likes that, but only when you’re gentle,” I told the Yautja. Slowly, he reached out a clawed hand and touched the ball of fur in my arms. Kat didn’t even bother to look up as she continued purring even louder.

I looked at Tor’ac as he petted Kat, and he seemed curious about how the little animal gently rumbled against his hand. It was almost funny how he inspected Kat while still petting her, and she just loved the attention. 

Hearing the door being unlocked, I turned to see Leah coming into the apartment, and Kat leapt out of my arms. Tor’ac clicked at me before walking back to the window blinds. I gazed at him for a moment before coming to a decision inside, and I turned to Leah, asking, “How did your meeting go?”

“Rather well. My advisor says I should be ready to enter the working world when I graduate in another year,” Leah answered, throwing a glance at Tor’ac by the window. 

“How has today been so far? Uneventful, I hope.”

“Beyond Tor’ac going into the bathroom at the same time as Cassie and then… being curious about Kat, nothing has really happened,” I told her. “But… he seems so depressed… either that or anxious, I can’t really tell. He wants to go outside, but his invisibility device won’t work.” 

Leah glanced at the discarded gauntlet on the table, saying, “Well, maybe he’ll be able to work on it when he’s ready. So, Tor’ac met Kat… how did that go?”

Biting my lower lip, I didn’t want to tell Leah that I thought he was going to eat her cat. Then again, he didn’t look like he was going to attack Kat… he might have just been curious. I looked at Leah as she waited for me to answer, and I said, “Well, she was hiding under the sofa, and Tor’ac… sort of lifted the sofa to see her.”

Blinking, Leah’s eyes traveled to Tor’ac and then the sofa before coming back to me. She started laughing, saying, “I-it… must have… b-been a sight to see, Mya. I really wish I could have seen the look on Kat’s face, and yours, when he lifted the sofa.”

“Well… it was pretty funny,” I chuckled lightly, remembering the sight. “But getting to a serious matter, Leah…”

“What is it?”

“Could you keep an eye on Tor’ac while I’m in class this afternoon? Just make sure he stays in the apartment?”

“Sure, but he doesn’t seem like he’s going anywhere, anyway.”

“I know, but humor me, just the same.”

“Of course.”

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

Oomans were such a strange type of prey. If you were not hunting them, then they were hunting you… or attempting to hunt you. I should have been more careful, but I was caught off-guard by a group of males the previous night cycle. They managed to wound my left leg and arm, but I escaped with a fairly good lead on them. Then, when I crashed into a building, a female ooman inside chose to help me… she even went so far as to offer me shelter in her home. I couldn’t understand her purpose before, but she made it clear that she wasn’t a threat to me. She only wanted to help. 

Looking at her speaking with the shorter female, I wondered just what she was thinking when she offered me, a Yautja, shelter. We hunt them as prey, yet she willingly gave me aid. Shaking my head, I returned my eyes to the outside where I knew I needed to go. But with the cloaking mechanism on my gauntlet damaged, there was no way I could go now. Not to mention my wounds still needed time to heal.

Hearing the two of them laughing, I glanced at the ooman females. The shorter one had cropped, brown hair and blue-shaded eyes. She gave off the air of one who didn’t really take life too seriously, and her scent reflected it. Too airy. Then, there was the female who had helped me. She had hair the color of most Yautja eyes, deep amber, and her hips were set a little wider than her two companions. Perfect for bearing children. Then, there were her eyes… her eyes. The previous night, they were almost green, but they were more of a golden color this day. And she had enough honor to give me her name. Meeya. The other two I knew as ‘Leeyah’ and ‘Kahsee’ through her speaking to them.

Meeya… there was something odd about her scent… it held such strength, yet fear hid within her. Her presence both soothed and riled me. One moment she was helping me, and the next she raged at me about their ‘peht’. I wasn’t going to eat it, I’d just smelled something different in the dwelling. 

Sighing, the peht’s purring had reminded me of being on the clan ship, and I wondered when I’d be able to join my comrades again. My task on the blue planet hadn’t been completed yet, and as I saw it, there was no way it would be finished soon. I heard my stomach growl at the thought of having real food once again, and I cursed at myself for not eating in the past few days.

Then, I noticed Meeya approach me, a look of concern on her face. Why should she be worried about me? She made a motion to my stomach and asked me something, I believe she thought I was hungry. Grunting, I nodded to her, thinking, _‘Of course, I’m hungry. My stomach wouldn’t have made such a noise if I wasn’t.’_

Looking at Meeya again, I saw her smile a little with those ooman lips. It seemed like such an odd thing to see, but I couldn’t find fault with her since oomans didn’t have mandibles. She walked into one of the other areas I hadn’t really bothered inspecting, and I watched her bring out a small weapon. No, it was a cutting utensil for food. I tilted my head to the side, a little curious about what she was doing. 

After she finished, Meeya brought over a container with slices of what looked like a fruit of some sort. I glanced at the food she held out to me, and sighing, I bent down to smell it. My eyes widened a little as such a sweet scent came from the food, and I reached into the container and grasped a slice. Opening my mandibles, I slid it into my mouth and chewed. It was as sweet as it smelled and crispy, though not as much as fruit from the Yautja home world. Because of our powerful inner jaw muscles, our fruit tended to be harder. 

I noticed Meeya smiling at me again as I took more fruit from the container to eat. She handed me the container and said something to me, but all I understood was 

“Tor’ac… stay… Leeyah… watch.” Blinking at her, I watched Meeya walk into her chamber before coming out and waving to both Leeyah and me. Then, she left the dwelling, closing the door. Ooman females were so… odd.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: Three  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.  
> Word Count: 4131

# Chapter 3

My time in class was spent making a list of things to buy at the grocery store, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on at home. There was no way I could really focus on the lecture, not with all the recent events that had transpired. Twisting my mouth to the side, I actually started wondering, _‘What in the hell does a Yautja do when he’s ‘at rest’?’_ I just hoped Tor’ac wasn’t getting too restless and giving Leah much trouble. No, I didn’t think he would do that… at least not intentionally. 

On my way from class to the bus area, Mrs. Henderson came up to me saying that she was so happy that I wasn’t hurt. I schooled my features into one of slight surprise as I asked her why she’d think that, and she went on to tell me about the accident in the library. She looked a little upset by the occurrence, but she told me she was glad the damage was on the third floor. They could still keep the library open while the repair constructions were done. 

Mrs. Henderson and I said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I smiled at her perseverance to keep the library open to the students even with all the repairs. She was an amazing lady and a great librarian, and it made my stomach clench a little to lie to her. Well, technically, I hadn’t exactly lied, I just asked why she’d thought I was hurt. Still, keeping the information to myself about Tor’ac and all that happened would probably be best. 

Heading towards the bus, I felt a twitch in my back almost as though something, or rather someone, was following me. I stopped next to a bench and sat down, rolling my neck in a stretch while also casually scanning the area behind me. _‘Just a crowd of students, Mya. Why are you being so jumpy?_ I thought. _‘Maybe because of what happened last night?’_ Shaking my head, I got up and continued towards the bus stop. 

The bus heading to my apartment complex was getting ready to depart, but as I waved to the driver, she kept the doors open long enough for me to jump inside. Taking a seat, the bus pulled away from the curb and headed off-campus. There were several stops before my complex, and I watched several people get off the bus.

Next stop was the grocery store within half a mile of my complex, and I pulled on the signal cord. The bus hissed to a stop, and I waved to the driver as I stepped onto the sidewalk. Walking into the store, I grabbed a cart and prepared for some serious maneuvering. 

The store was insanely packed with people, and it was barely after six o’clock. Where the hell did all these people come from? _‘Don’t they have jobs or kids in school?’_ I asked myself, twisting my mouth to the side. _‘Oh, well, gotta move fast then.’_

Shopping actually went by faster when I was alone since I only needed what was on my list instead of what might be on Leah or Cassie’s list. I laughed at the last time Cassie and I were in the store when she insisted we go down every row just to be sure we didn’t need anything. She ended up getting twice the amount of groceries that were on her list. My roommates were strange and they could say the same thing about me. But we were all still good friends… despite certain happenings.

Shaking my head, I told myself to stop thinking about the past and finish getting the groceries.

***

With two large paper bags full of food, I left the store and walked down the sidewalk towards the bus stop. Looking at the bus shelter, I shrugged before taking a deviation on the path to the left and heading in the direction of my complex. It was a straight path through the wooded area behind the grocery store and up a hill before striding down towards the back parking lot. 

Walking upstairs to my apartment, I had to set one bag on the cement floor so I could fish my keys out of my pocket. I unlocked the door and was surprised when it was pulled open. Leah had the biggest smile on her face as she held the door for me. Picking up my other bag, I gave her a confused look, and she whispered, “Go look in the living room, but be quiet.”

Raising an eyebrow, I wondered just what on Earth had happened while I was at class, but I strode into the kitchen. After I set the bags down, I scanned the living room and blinked before smiling at what I saw. Tor’ac was sitting on the floor with his huge arms crossed in front of his barrel chest. Seated in his lap was Kat, curled up in a little ball of black fur. 

“They’ve been like that for the past twenty minutes,” Leah whispered as she came up beside me. “He just chose to sit, and she decided he’d make a nice piece of furniture apparently.”

“Leah!” I hissed, frowning at her. “He’s not furniture!”

“We know that, but Kat doesn’t.”

Turning back to look at the sight, I giggled softly. “Yeah, I suppose that’s true. So what did you do while I was gone?”

“Well, I was in my room practically the whole time,” she told me. “I only came out to check on him a few times, and the first two times, he was still standing at the window just like when you left. Then, I came out and saw this. It was just too cute! At least, my cat is too cute.”

Shaking my head, I walked back into the kitchen and began putting the groceries away. I put four of the large red apples into the fruit bowl and placed the remaining eight in the fruit bin inside the refrigerator. Tor’ac seemed to like apples, so I thought it was a good idea to buy them in bulk especially since they were on sale. 

I had also purchased two raw steaks, thinking that Tor’ac might want some meat. He was a “predator” after all, so he would most likely eat meat. Setting one on the counter, I put the other package inside the refrigerator and turned back to see Tor’ac rising from the floor, much to Kat’s protest. He was watching me, and I merely smiled at him before putting away the rest of my groceries. I heard him approach the kitchen, and he stopped just outside of the entryway. 

Glancing at him, Tor’ac was looking at the red meat on the counter, and he clicked softly. Then, looking at me, he motioned towards the meat with his hand and then pointed to himself. I thought he was asking if it was for him, and as soon as I nodded, he grasped the package in his huge hand. Using a claw, he prodded against the plastic wrapping before tearing a hole large enough to pull out the steak. 

Swallowing slightly, I turned away as I heard him eating the meat raw, as I thought he would though it was still unsettling to hear. He seemed to gulp it down in no time from what I heard, and I soon felt something tap my shoulder. Facing him, Tor’ac placed a fist against his chest and nodded his head. I blinked at this display, and I assumed he was thanking me, so I smiled and bowed my head back to him. At least I found something else he liked to eat. Although, with the way he devoured that steak and looking at how big he was, I either had to find a cheaper grocery store or another means to provide meat for someone Tor’ac’s size. 

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

 _‘Why did she help me?’_ I had asked myself this question over and over while Meeya was out of the dwelling. The possible reasons for her giving me aid just confused me, and I finally had to dismiss this train of thought since it was unproductive. 

After Meeya returned, she had brought food for me, which I gladly accepted. It was part of a flank from one of their large land creatures; I had consumed some before on previous hunts. It wasn’t as spicy or flavored like the hrak’ken meat I loved on the clan ship, but it was tender and it was meat. Once I finished, I made sure she was looking at me as I placed my fist against my chest and nodded to her. Apparently, Meeya understood that I was grateful for the meat, and she bowed her head to me. 

Both she and I stood there for a moment before she turned away and opened the door to what I gathered was their food compartment. Tilting my head, I watched Meeya a little longer and then looked in the adjoined room at my gauntlet on their table. Sighing, I knew the invisibility cloak wasn’t going to repair automatically, and so I walked over to pick it up. I sat down, removing the tool kit from my belt, and began working with the small device inside the gauntlet. 

After trying several different tricks that failed to fix the cloak, I set the gauntlet down before me and crossed my arms. I inhaled and exhaled slowly to calm my frustrated nerves, clicking my mandibles to relieve some tension. To distract myself, I glanced outside their glass panes and noticed that it was already past the early night cycle. Looking around the dwelling, I noticed that none of the oomans were in sight. Scenting the dwelling, I knew Meeya was in her chamber while Leeyah was in the bathing chamber adjoined to her chamber. The third ooman, Kahsee, was not inside the dwelling. 

I heard Meeya moving outside of her chamber before I saw her approach where I sat, and I looked up at her. She pointed at me and then pointed at her chest before motioning to the glass panes. Tilting my head, I heard her also say, “You… me… outside.” 

Nodding to her, I stood up and unhooked my mask from my belt, placing it over my face. I began breathing, almost savoring the air of my home world, which was much less polluted than what the oomans called “air”. Yautja could breathe on the backwater planet for a short period of time, if one could call it “breathing”, before having to use one’s mask. 

Then, I watched Meeya open the door leading to the area outside where she and I stood the previous night cycle. She pointed to herself again and motioned with her hand down to a path below the building. I stared at her through my mask’s eyes, tilting my head a little confused by her motion. Meeya walked back inside and made her way to the entrance to her home. 

When I tried to go with her, Meeya turned to look at me and shook her head, pointing once more to the other door. I turned to look in that direction, and I heard her depart and close the entrance. Moving back outside, I looked over the railing and saw Meeya’s form come into view. She looked up and waved to me, pointing up above the dwelling. Tilting my head up, I saw the top of the dwelling was one level above this level. 

Moving to the side, I dug my claws inside the wall and slowly climbed to the top of the large building. Apparently, Meeya lived in a “shared dwelling”, one with many different smaller dwellings inside each building. I had seen plenty of these in various parts of the planet, and it seemed as though most oomans lived in this fashion. It almost mirrored the living arrangements on the clan ships, but our individual chambers were much larger and had technology that surpassed theirs. 

Focusing once more on Meeya, I saw her figure moving past a second building next to hers, and I jumped across to the top of that building. I trailed her as she continued into an area with a lot of trees. Keeping her position on my scanners, I leapt from the second building into one of the larger trees near her previous location, continuing to follow her. 

It began to feel as though I was hunting her, and though it thrilled my hunter’s blood, I knew hunting one who had helped me was dishonorable. Even then, I would not hunt females--I saw no honor or need in killing them. The only times when they seemed worth the hunt was when they were defending their young, but to kill a female guarding young was to label oneself a bad blood. It was the way the Arbitrators taught, so it was law to all Yautja of our clan.

As Meeya walked further through the trees, I saw a large open section just beyond the wooded area. She left the trees behind and strode to the open area where I noticed a small barrier. Jumping to the ground, I knew I had seen similar barriers, small wooden rods pressed into the ground with sharp-tipped wires connecting the rods. Meeya ducked under part of the barrier, and she waited just inside the enclosed area. Bending down, I hurdled over the barrier and landed a few feet from where she stood. 

When she noticed I was close, Meeya moved away from the wire barrier and into a more open space. My eyes were trained on her back, and questions I’d been asking myself earlier in the day cycle began running through my mind. _‘Why did she help me? Does she have an honorable motive? Is this her true nature, or is she more like those males who attacked me? She is ooman. Can I really trust her… as I would another Yautja?’_ This last question seemed to unsettle me the most, and I growled lowly to myself. 

I watched her figure stop just ahead of me, and as I clicked my mandibles softly, I resolved to test her. If she could pass this test, I would be able to place full trust in her not to turn on me. If not… then I would know her true nature and deal with her accordingly.

 

[Mya’s POV]

I had tried to work on my homework for class, but I just couldn’t focus on it knowing that Tor’ac had been stuck inside the apartment all day. It just didn’t seem fair, and I felt I had waited long enough for it to get dark outside. So I went to him and said that he and I were going outside, and I brought him to the pasture just beyond the woods to the right of the complex.

Now, I was standing in the middle of an open field with a huge Yautja near me, and all I could do was stare into the clear night sky. Thousands of stars lit up the darkness, and I wondered just how many of them Tor’ac and his people had seen. Glancing at him, I knew it was ridiculous to even think of asking, so I returned to the matter at hand.

Facing Tor’ac, I waved my hands in a small ‘shoo-ing’ motion to get him to move around in the open space. He seemed utterly confused as he tilted his head and clicked at me. I bit my lower lip as I thought of how to tell him it was okay to just stretch. Grasping my hands together, I stretched them into the air above my head and allowed my back muscles to loosen. I looked at Tor’ac again, and he still appeared puzzled, if not thinking what an idiot I must look like.

With a sigh, I thought of something else and ran a short distance from where he stood before jogging in a small circle around him. Again, I knew I must have looked rather odd trying to coax a Yautja into exercising, but Tor’ac surprised me as he began running just behind me. He easily caught up with me, and I moved back to the inside of the circle where he stood before. 

I noticed he stopped some distance from me, and he started moving both his left arm and left leg, testing each limb. Although it was hard to see in the dark, I tried to look over his body to make sure there was no fluorescent green blood seeping from under his bandages. He seemed fine, so I thought, _‘I’ll check and re-bandage the wounds once we get back to the apartment.’_

Then, I saw Tor’ac standing perfectly still with his fists pressed together in front of his chest. Frowning, I thought his stance looked a little familiar, but I shrugged it off, continuing to observe him. He began moving in a slow, steady pace, shifting his weight from one leg to the other as he leaned to the right. His hands were still clenched into fists, and he swung one slowly up and over his head. It was a rather… interesting sight to see, and it seemed so familiar to me.

Blinking, my eyes widened as I watched Tor’ac open his hands and place them against his right hip in a sort of ‘L’ shape. Using his lower body to propel his next movements, he curved his arms forward with the left hand held in front while the right guarded his midsection. At the same time, he placed all his weight on his right leg with only the ball of his left foot touching the ground. 

_‘Oh, my God… it’s part of form number six,’_ I thought, a small gasp escaping my lips. I couldn’t believe my eyes. This alien being was performing part of Yaset from the Soo Bahk Do style of martial arts. I began to wonder how long they had been coming to Earth and just what they had taught us. Or perhaps it was easier to ask what they had not taught us?

Before the unwanted images of past events could come to my mind, I shook my head hard and swallowed, trying to calm myself. After seven years, I should be able to deal with the past, not dwell on it. So why did watching Tor’ac execute a form from my style of martial art cause my insides to churn? 

My mind was so preoccupied with trying to calm my body that I didn’t realize Tor’ac had turned and was charging straight for me. He brought back his right hand, clenched into a fist, as his wrist blades extended out and aimed for my throat. Blinking, I wondered just what had happened as the blades stopped just in front of my neck. Why had he turned on me? But more importantly, why did he stop short in the attack? 

Looking from the blades aimed at my neck to the cold eyes of his mask, I gave him a puzzled and what I hoped was a hurt look. This action served to remind me that he was a Yautja, a hunter, and even if I did give him aid that didn’t change who he was. But he had trusted me before, so why… why do this now? Then, it hit me. Tor’ac might be testing to see how far I would trust him… to possibly measure how much he should trust me. Inhaling slowly, I forced my body to relax more as I watched him and waited. 

With another swift movement I almost didn’t see, Tor’ac brought his arm back to the side and swiped his wrist blades very close to my chest. I could have sworn I felt the tips of the blades barely hook the cloth before pulling free. Swallowing, I knew he had the power and strength to kill me in countless ways if he wished. But to hold back as he did, that showed immense control, and I had to show that same amount of control by not flinching.

Tor’ac nodded as he moved his wrist once more, retracting the blades to his gauntlet. I was unsure if the test was finished, so I remained where I stood, still watching him. He turned his back to me only to spin around, and he thrust his hand, palm flat with his thumb spread, towards my neck. The breath caught inside my throat as I felt his hand stop once more, only he was close enough for me to feel his hand. For one hand to hold such strength was frightening, yet amazing. I slowly inhaled through my mouth, and I could swear he could have caressed the air flowing through my throat if he wanted.

Our eyes locked as I stared into the cold, glass eye sockets of his silver mask, and I waited once more. I focused on the feel of his hand on my neck to take my mind off the surrounding tension. His skin was definitely different with an almost reptilian feel, but it wasn’t scaly. He was very warm especially in the chilly air around us. 

Then, I felt his hand relax as he pulled back, two claws grazing my skin unintentionally. Tor’ac stood directly in front of me and bowed his head while bringing his fist to his chest. He reached out his hand and gripped my shoulder, shaking it gently for a Yautja. It was gentle because I was able to keep my balance and not fall onto the grass. From his actions, I believed that I had passed the test… and was very glad of it. I just hoped I wouldn’t do anything to break Tor’ac’s trust.

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

When I attacked her the first time, I noticed Meeya’s heart was already racing even before I moved towards her. Usually, these tests were started at a time when the Yautja being tested wasn’t focused, in order to learn their true reaction. Something had startled her and caused a distraction so I could begin testing her. 

In truth, I was surprised to see Meeya stand her ground rather than run from me. I had intimidated many oomans in past hunts, and none had ever stood as she did. Her stance wasn’t confident, and the look in her eyes showed shock and perhaps some amount of sadness. I had only seen such a look within the eyes of a female Yautja that I had recently refused as a mate. That look on this ooman female almost made me unable to continue with her test, but I would finish what I had started. I needed to know where her honor stood. 

Then, something seemed to come alive within Meeya’s eyes as I stared at her, and her heart began to calm. I clicked my mandibles beneath my mask as my own blood rushed through my veins. Moving on to the next attack, I noticed her left arm twitch almost in an attempt to block my strike. Did she know some form of defense? Still, it wouldn’t have been in her favor had she chosen to defend herself during the test. 

I had to admit I was impressed by Meeya’s control of her will as she allowed me to come within mere seconds of possibly killing her. There was one final part of the test, and I retracted my wrist blades to allow her time to quiet her blood. Then, I finished with a throat strike, pulling back just enough to where I wouldn’t hurt her. I knew if I did not have the control and experience I did in combat, I could have easily taken off her head. 

As I held her by the throat, I watched her eyes as she stared into my mask. I felt her pulse jump several times against my hand, but Meeya did not show any other signs of weakness. Never had any female, Yautja or ooman, impressed me as she did.

Releasing her neck, I brought a fist to my chest and bowed to her in respect. Then, I grasped Meeya’s shoulder and shook it as I would another Yautja after a test or spar. She remained in front of me before looking into my mask again. I began to think perhaps my test had unsettled her, but then Meeya reached up and placed her hand against my right shoulder and shook it as her ooman strength would allow. Such interesting, and sometimes fickle, beings, but I knew at least one had the honor closely related to that of a Yautja.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: Four  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.  
> Word Count: 3706

# Chapter 4

[Mya’s POV]

Over the next week, I noticed something different about our apartment guest. At first, it was too small to really notice as my roommates and I continued in our daily lives, which now included Tor’ac. I would leave my room each morning and find Tor’ac sitting or even kneeling on the living room floor, his makeshift bed of spare blankets and sheets folded over. When I came home from class or an errand, the first thing I saw was Tor’ac standing or sitting in the living room, staring at me when I entered my home. He nodded to me each time while still watching me as I moved about the apartment. 

It was a little strange and sometimes a little uncomfortable as I felt like I was being scrutinized by him, but I got used to it. I even felt a little flattered after I asked Leah and Cassie if Tor’ac “greeted” them when they came home and they said he didn’t. He only felt the need to greet me, to watch me. Well, I was the one who had helped him, and I was the one he had tested. I didn’t think the others even really gave him their names formally. 

“Why should I introduce myself to him?” Cassie asked, rolling her eyes when I discussed my thoughts on the matter. “It’s not like he’d remember or even care.”

“You’d be surprised, Cassie,” I told her, but she just shook her head and went into her bedroom.

When I talked with Leah about it, she just shrugged, and I had the feeling that she viewed Tor’ac almost as another pet. She would sometimes watch Kat approach the large Yautja sitting in our living room and settle into his lap. At least she could be in the same room as him for a long time unlike Cassie, but there was nothing I could do about that. I couldn’t force either of my roommates to accept Tor’ac as a guest and just counted myself lucky that neither protested the idea of sheltering him.

What was strange about Tor’ac’s behavior was that whenever I was in the living room, talking with Leah or Cassie, he would glance at us every so often. I wanted to say it was almost like he was listening to our different conversations… and maybe he was. I couldn’t say for sure what was going on, but whenever he and I were alone in the living room, Tor’ac would sometimes shift closer to where I sat or at least turn to face me as though giving me his complete attention. Why he did that, I had no clue, but I grew accustomed to this behavior, much like other differences since he became part of my life.

There had been several… interesting incidents since Tor’ac came into our home. Interesting was the most delicate word I could use since I was puzzled as to how an entire tube of toothpaste would effect a Yautja’s body internally. I had been cleaning my bathroom, scrubbing at the last remainder of Tor’ac’s blood after the most recent bandage change. His wounds were almost completely healed, which meant that would most likely be the last bandaging he’d need.

Tor’ac had entered the bathroom, I guess curious about what I was doing hunched over the tub. Then, as I wiped some sweat from my forehead onto my sleeve, I saw him pick up my toothpaste tube and sniff it. I didn’t really think anything of it and went back to cleaning the tub. It wasn’t until I heard the cap bounce on the counter that I looked up to see Tor’ac squeezing the blue and white paste directly into his mouth. 

Dropping the sponge, I jumped up and told him to put the tube down, grasping it when he didn’t do what I asked. Tor’ac turned to look at me, and it seemed like he was confused by my reaction. Inhaling, I pulled the tube out of his hand, trying to explain the concept of possible poisoning from consuming, well, as much as he did. The Yautja just blinked at me, tilting his head to the side in that quizzical manner that usually made me smile, and I shook my head. Apparently, my concern was unnecessary as there was no change in Tor’ac after the incident, so I didn’t continue worrying. I just needed a new tube of toothpaste.

Another incident involved introducing Tor’ac to the television, or rather preventing him from destroying our TV. Leah and I were watching a documentary on lions in the Serengeti when Tor’ac came out of the bathroom. I looked at him and smiled before returning my attention to the television. Then, Tor’ac did something he’d never done before. Normally, he chose to sit down next to one of the bookshelves with his back to the TV, but this time he came and stood beside where I sat on the couch. 

What happened after that, I didn’t think Leah and I would ever forget. One of the lions being filmed charged the cameraman, and instantly, Tor’ac blocked my view. I was about to ask what the hell he was doing but stopped when I saw his wrist blades were extended. Calling his name, I grabbed his arm, and he turned to face me with a confused and annoyed look. 

Standing up, I walked across the room, still holding his arm, and I released him to have a free hand to touch the TV screen. I placed my hand against the glass and looked back at Tor’ac, telling him it was ok, and it wasn’t real. He looked puzzled and uncertain as his brow furrowed, and I beckoned him to touch it, too. With a sigh, the Yautja raised a huge hand and slowly touched the glass screen with two fingers. Then, he looked at me and nodded, trilling at me in understanding, and I was relieved that the TV was spared.

A couple of days after rescuing the television, Leah, Cassie and I sat on the couch trying to figure out what to watch, and I had the remote. Cassie started tickling me, saying she wanted the remote, but I refused to let it go. I squirmed around trying to tickle her back when Leah started tickling me, too. 

Both of them made me shriek in protest, which somehow caught Tor’ac’s attention because he suddenly appeared next to the couch, snarling as he grasped my arm and pulled me out from under them. Pushing me behind him, he spread his massive arms in what I saw as a challenging manner and growled fiercely at my roommates. As I tried to see around the huge Yautja, I saw Cassie staring with wide, frightened eyes while Leah just looked confused. 

“Tor’ac! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” I shouted, slapping on his arm to get his attention. When he turned to me, Tor’ac looked rather pissed as he softly growled at me, but I didn’t back down from his glare and answered with one of my own. Crossing my arms across my chest, I pursed my lips still glowering up at the huge Yautja. “You can’t just go attacking Leah and Cassie, Tor’ac! Do you know that if they didn’t allow you to stay here, there’d be nothing I could do? You need to think before doing something like this!”

Tor’ac’s green eyes suddenly widened before blinking as he glanced at the others sitting on the couch. Well, Leah was sitting, Cassie was sort of inching away from where he stood. Then, he looked at me once more before exhaling in a huff and going out onto the balcony. Usually, this was his signal that he wanted to go out to the pasture as we’d done the past nights, but I was in no mood to go tonight. Huffing to myself, I stalked into my room and closed the door to all of them, my roommates and Tor’ac, for the night.

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

What the pauk had I done? I wondered what had just happened inside the dwelling when Meeya struck my arm before confronting me. It was frustrating and… odd to have a female, especially an ooman female, practically challenge my authority. But she seemed distressed about my actions, so I sat down outside, trying to calm my angered blood.

Thinking back over what had happened, I knew I had heard Meeya’s cry and thought she was in trouble. Though why she would need assistance in her own dwelling was beyond my understanding. When I had entered the room, I saw what seemed to be Leeyah and Kahsee attacking Meeya in an unfair fight. So I chose to intervene and help her. Somehow that intervention earned a challenge or… a scolding from the one I tried to aid? 

Of course, after I thought more about the situation, it didn’t really appear that they were attempting to hurt Meeya. Still, I had not deserved the angered look she gave me, I had never seen that look in her eyes before. Perhaps she was getting restless or…? I couldn’t really think straight, the entire situation had sent my mind reeling and I didn’t want to think more on the matter.

Out of habit, I glanced down at the ground to see if Meeya was there, and to my relief, she wasn’t. I did not think going outside with her to train would have been a suitable choice in the situation. It was probably better for me to just stay outside now. 

The past seven cycles had been… interesting and a little annoying. Meeya had squawked at me for eating something similar to one of the sweet pats on the clan ship. I had never seen the substance on the backwater planet before, but I think she called it tueth’paest. She said something about poisoning, but nothing seemed odd internally, so I didn’t think it was poison. Why would she even keep something poisonous around her dwelling? 

Thinking about the actions of this ooman female made my head start to ache, and my mandibles clicked in frustration. I knew she was honorable and could be trusted, but beyond that, she was a mystery. Pushing aside thoughts involving Meeya, I gazed at the upper atmosphere, filled with many gas balls. My mind soon wandered once more onto my task, but I knew my cloaking device needed to be fixed before I could continue.

I heard footsteps approaching the door before it was even opened, and the scent was of Meeya. Of course, it had to be her since neither of the other females bothered approaching me. Though I was still annoyed with her challenge to my authority, I had to admit it was impressive… irritating, but impressive. 

Meeya closed the door behind her and moved towards my location before kneeling down. There was a bowl in her hands, and from the scent, it was more of the sweet, crunchy fruit she called ah-pell. I felt the inside of my mouth growing moist, but I restrained myself from taking the fruit from her. She might be ready to make peace with me, but I was not. 

“Tor’ac.” She leaned over, apparently trying to get me to look at her face. I knew my next action was worthy of a young blood, but I still turned further away from her. This ooman female had hurt my pride, especially when I was attempting to aid her. Right now, I didn’t want to look at her.

“Okay… listen, Tor’ac, please,” she said as I heard her lean back. “I am sorry… I shouldn’t have hit you… you were only helping me… probably thought I was in trouble because I yelled…” 

I understood most of her words. Over the past cycles, I had been learning more of their language while merely listening to Meeya converse with Leeyah and Kahsee. Listening and picking up what they said was simple enough, it was trying to form ooman words that was difficult. 

“I know you… don’t want to hear or deal with this… but I’m sorry, Tor’ac. I’m so sorry.” Meeya’s eyes were on me, I could feel her gaze and her hand which reached out and softly touched mine. “I don’t blame you… being upset… but please, Tor’ac… I’m sorry.”

Her words and more importantly the sincerity behind them moved me, and I turned to face her. Meeya looked at me with such sad eyes, but there was something else, some other emotion beyond the sadness. I couldn’t place it, so I merely gazed at her face before saying, “Meeya… I accept.”

 

[Mya’s POV]

 _‘He said… my name.’_ My eyes widened suddenly when I heard Tor’ac speak again. It was the same gruff, almost human, voice that told me ‘thank you’ over a week ago, yet it still shocked me. I set the bowl of apple slices down before I dropped it, and I stared at him, asking, “How much… can you understand?”

Tor’ac reached down and picked up the bowl, selecting one slice and placing part of it inside his mouth. He chewed and swallowed all in one motion before looking at me once more. “I understand… more than I speak.”

“Wow… but how did you… learn so much?” I leaned in closer, my curiosity peaked.

“Through many hunts… and listening to oomans… but mostly you, Meeya.”

“Me?” Blinking, I sat back on my legs again as I thought about all the times it seemed like Tor’ac was observing me while I talked with the others. He was actually listening and learning our words. “So… you can learn things quickly.”

He nodded. “We have to… to live and grow stronger. My race does not always… see importance in… a different language. But… it has use.”

Staring at Tor’ac in awe from having an actual spoken conversation with him, I finally forced my eyes away from him. It was weird hearing my language from a being not of my planet, let alone my race, and I must have been caught up in the shock. What was even weirder was that it took my getting angry with Tor’ac and then apologizing in order for us to have a spoken conversation. 

“Tor’ac… I know I’ve already said this, but again, I’m sorry.” I lowered my eyes to the stone floor of the balcony. “It’s… well, my time…”

“Your… ‘time?’” When I looked up, he had tilted his head in the familiar questioning manner, and I smiled a little. 

“Uh… let’s just call it… a female issue.” I glanced around, trying not to meet his eyes. 

Tor’ac stared at me a moment longer before shrugging his wide shoulders and eating more of the apple slices. Sighing, I was relieved he didn’t want further information on that topic. 

While in my room, I had been irked by my earlier reaction, and it wasn’t fair for me to become so upset. It was only logical since… well, it was my time of the month and I became irritated easily. I felt horrible after yelling at Tor’ac when he was only trying to help me after hearing my shriek. It was so sweet of him, and I knew it was my fault that he was defending me against Leah and Cassie. 

As I watched him eat the remaining apple slices, I was confused by his earlier action… and also how he seemed to watch me constantly in the apartment. It was strange how he was so much like a human, yet so different at the same time. I wondered if he could see the similarities, too, along with the differences.

***

Our first conversation was just the beginning as I felt more of an understanding between Tor’ac and me. In order to expand his knowledge of the human language, I started talking with him about various subjects. Sometimes, he was clear on everything we discussed, and others he would ask me to either repeat what I said or to speak at a slower pace. 

It was almost like being a teacher, which I didn’t really feel I was qualified to be. However, Tor’ac was an attentive student, and that made it much easier on me. I found it almost funny when Tor’ac asked why I had so many ‘primitive information units.’ Truthfully, I had no idea what he was talking about until he motioned towards my bookshelves. 

“I really like to read, Tor’ac,” I said, retrieving one of my books on weapons of warfare, one I thought he might like. “When people find out some new object or information, they record as much about it as possible in order to preserve it for later generations.”

He scanned the five bookcases at the numerous books housed on the shelves, asking, “How many have you read?”

“All of them.”

Tor’ac turned to face me, an almost surprised look on his face as he glanced at the amount of books I owned before staring at me again. “You have read…” He made a motion with his hands towards the cases. “…this many b-uuks, yet they are still in your possession. Why keep them?”

“I don’t know… I guess just to keep around as references.” I shrugged and handed him the hardback book.

The Yautja looked over the cover before slowly opening it and carefully flipped through several pages, glancing up at me. “Ref-ur-en-ses?”

Nodding, I said, “It’s a way of having something to look back at just in case you’re unsure about the information you’re talking about. Do you understand?”

“Like… reassessing a situation?” 

“Sort of, almost like a confirmation of what you already know.”

Tor’ac nodded, seeming to understand what I was talking about, and he continued flipping through more of the book. He tilted his head while looking at one of the pages, and I wondered what he was looking at. Then, he laughed, at least it sounded like that to me. “You are like our…” He made a small series of clicks that I didn’t understand.

“What was that last part?” I asked, shaking my head a little.

Sighing, he looked at the floor, apparently trying to think of how to say it again. “You are… one who learns and one who knows. In my language, the title has both meanings. Those who hold that title… have great importance.”

“Well, I am a student, but I wouldn’t say I’m a… ‘knower.’”

Waving his hand slightly, Tor’ac seemed to brush what I said aside as he said, “There is much information here… too much for you to not be one who knows, Meeya.”

Blinking, I wondered why Tor’ac would compare me to one of his race with such an important title. His race was much more advanced than mine, I didn’t doubt that the amount of knowledge they had probably made ours look insignificant by comparison. It was flattering and puzzling at the same time, and I couldn’t stop my face from flushing. Turning away from him and back to the bookcase, I hoped he hadn’t noticed.

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

The past cycles had gripped me in regards to conversing with Meeya. After learning that I could understand her, she had purposefully begun speaking with me on a regular basis, almost as if she would with Leeyah and Kahsee. She seemed so captivated by many different subjects, and her explanations to answer any of my questions were so… intense. There was almost a hunter’s fire within her eyes when she explained things to me. It was difficult not to become caught up in the way she talked.

Often, I found myself staring at her intently as she explained something new to me. How one ooman female could know so much was… fascinating. Somehow she knew how to hold one’s attention; of course, it was only when she was enthralled by the subject. Still, there were so many that held her in awe, it was hard to keep count. Meeya was certainly… an interesting female.

During the early night cycle of my twelfth full-cycle in Meeya’s dwelling, I observed her with a large b’uuk that had a dark, hard cover. It reminded me of a hard meat, but I had shoved aside thoughts of Kainde Amedha Chivas long ago, no longer my concern. The small non-prey, ‘Kat’, was lying in Meeya’s lap, and I approached the fu’tahn. Giving a light hiss, I gently pushed the non-prey off Meeya before sitting down on the floor beside her.

Meeya looked up from her b’uuk and glanced at the retreating non-prey before looking at me in slight surprise, saying, “She wasn’t upsetting me, Tor’ac.”

Grunting, I shrugged my shoulders and trilled lightly as I looked at the inside of the b’uuk. “What are you reading?”

“It’s a book about… uh… astronomy.” She seemed hesitant if not anxious about her answer as I sensed her heartbeat increase just slightly.

“Ast’rah-noh’mee?” 

“Um… it’s the study of the upper atmosphere and the planets and stars.”

Nodding, I saw an image of the backwater planet as I normally saw it when approaching or leaving the planet. It was a ball of blue and white mixed together against the darkness of space, so different when compared to the Yautja home world. It had been at least two centuries since I had been back to the home world, and somehow I didn’t really miss it. Life on the clan ships was enough for me along with most Yautja.

I suddenly heard sniffling from Meeya, and looking at her, I saw water running from her eyes. She was staring at the image of her planet, her fingers lightly tracing the outer rim. 

“It’s so beautiful… even if it’s just an image, Tor’ac,” she murmured, clearing her throat. “The planet doesn’t look like it’s overrun by people.”

To see her eyes run over for a mere image was intriguing but also caused my chest to ache, and I purred gently to try and soothe her. She looked at me and wiped her face with a pale hand, saying, “Tor’ac, I’m sorry. I just… sometimes I wish I could see Earth… just like this.”

Before I could even think about my words, I blurted, “What if you could?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: Five  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.  
> Word Count: 4045

# Chapter 5

[Mya’s POV]

“What if you could?” 

Turning to face Tor’ac, I stared at the Yautja sitting down near me. He couldn’t possibly be serious… could he? It seemed almost funny… so why weren’t one or both of us laughing? 

“Uh… well, I…” The phone suddenly rang, interrupting my sentence, and I closed the book, getting up to answer it. “Hello?”

“Mya, dear, would it be possible for you to come to work in the library tonight? I can’t reach Kyle or Matt, and I have to leave early,” Mrs. Henderson’s voice came through the receiver. 

“Oh, uh, I guess I can come in until closing time, Mrs. Henderson.” I twisted my mouth to the side as I glanced at Tor’ac where he sat watching me. “So I need to come in now or possibly at 8 o’clock?”

“8 will be fine, Mya,” she replied. “Just be careful when coming over here and heading back home.”

“Right, I’ll see you in about half an hour, Mrs. Henderson. Bye,” I told her, hanging up the receiver. Facing Tor’ac again, I saw him standing next to the futon and looking through the book I left there. I frowned, wondering what on Earth had made me cry like that; it was just a picture. There was only one logical reason I thought was the answer. _‘Hormones… at least it’s nearly over,’_ I sighed, shaking my head and looking at the Yautja in my living room. 

I had to tell him we couldn’t go outside to allow him to train tonight, at least not until closer to midnight since the library closed at 11:00 p.m. And the longer I waited, the less time I had to get to the bus stop and eventually the campus library. 

Turning toward him, I said, “Tor’ac, I need to go work tonight for about… three hours. Do you think you can wait until later to do your… uh, training?”

“W’urk?” He looked up at me, tilting his head to the side and asking, “What is ‘w’urk’?”

“It’s just… um… looking after the building with lots of books in it and making sure all the people inside leave at the appropriate time. Oh, and I loan out the books to them, too.” It was a little hard explaining the way the library worked to him without getting too complicated, especially with the little amount of time I had. 

Clicking, Tor’ac said, “The structure where you helped me… that is where you are going?”

“It’ll only be for a little while, but I need to get over there fast. The sooner I get there, the sooner I’ll be able to leave.” Racing into my room, I grabbed my bag and dashed past Tor’ac into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and grabbed the last package of the recently bought steaks, setting it on the counter. “If you get hungry, have at the meat or the apples. Bye, Tor’ac!”

Hurrying out the door and almost tripping down the stairs, I noticed the bus pulling up to the stop at the end of the complex. I gritted my teeth, gripped the strap on my bag and made the mad dash to the stop, praying the driver would see me. It would be another fifteen minutes before another bus came along, and I didn’t have that much time to waste.

He did see me and smiled, keeping the doors open long enough for me to leap aboard and take a seat. Panting as I sat down, I said, “Thanks… so much.”

“No problem.” Closing the doors, the bus lurched forward and we were on our way. 

Trying to catch my breath, I thought, _‘Damn, I really should train more. I know it’s been awhile, but still.’_ I recalled the past several nights when Tor’ac and I were out in the pasture. He had offered to allow me to train with him, but I’d shaken my head, respectfully refusing. There was no way that I could possibly compare to Tor’ac when it came to the fluidity in which he moved when performing any forms, or kha’tas as he called them. 

What in the world had made him ask me that kind of question? Leaning against the back of the seat, I wondered what it really would be like up there. Then, I shook my head, thinking, _‘No way. There is no possible way for me to go up there, really, so why even bother thinking about it? Why am I letting it get to me?’_

Inhaling, I released my breath in a huff, glancing back in the direction of my apartment complex. Still… Tor’ac had seemed so… I stopped. I couldn’t really tell what he was thinking when he asked me that. Looking down at my hands, I was cracking each of my knuckles, a sign of anxiety for me. The last time I cracked my knuckles this much was when… I shook my head. Dragging up things from the past… not a good sign in my book. 

With the way things were going, it seemed like tonight was going to be a long night at the library. 

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

What the pauk had I been thinking when I said that? What had possessed me to ask her that question of all things? My head had been swimming with her scent ever since it had changed to something… stronger, more… primitive. I couldn’t recall when it had changed, but for some reason it made things come to mind that normally wouldn’t have come. Or would they? 

Clicking my mandibles and shaking my head to clear it, I noticed the b’uuk was still in my hands, and so chose to set it back on the fu’tahn. Then, I lowered my body to the floor, crossing my legs and inhaling slowly in order to clear my thoughts. But my mind still recalled what I said and even Meeya’s reaction… wait. Did she really react or even answer me? 

Closing my eyes, I remembered her eyes growing large as in surprise or shock… perhaps even horror. I clenched my fists, wanting to either kick or just strike myself for even thinking such things. _‘She is ooman… but she is honorable for an ooman.’_ Even my own thoughts seemed to defend her, and that alone made me chuckle a little. 

The fire that appeared within her eyes whenever she spoke about anything of interest to her was enough to rival any seasoned veteran hunter. I had seen that look more often recently and decided I liked it. It reminded me even more of a Yautja’s spirit… an ooman female with a Yautja’s spirit. The idea seemed laughable, if not mocking… yet I failed to see it as such. To recall that fire blazing in Meeya’s eyes drew a low, growling purr from me, unexpectedly.

Blinking, I shut my eyes and shook my head, telling myself, _‘You pauk’de fool… you should focus on your mission, the reason you are even here on this backwater planet.’_

Then, I heard a small sound and opened my eyes to see ‘Kat’, the non-prey, sitting in front of me. The creature stared at me, opening its… her mouth, and another small sound came out. Sighing, I reached down and, with two fingers, began stroking along the top of her head to the back. ‘Kat’ arched towards my touch before climbing onto my crossed legs. 

Glancing down at her, I sighed and rolled my shoulders back in a stretch before placing my hands on my knees. As I straightened my back, I closed my eyes and inhaled once more, releasing the breath slowly. I coughed, thinking, _‘Damn, this excuse for air is getting to me again… I’ll need to wear my mask when we go out tonight.’_

My brows raised as that thought made me remember the previous night cycles when Meeya and I were outside. She had seemed so fascinated and focused on my movements as I executed several kha’tas. I would almost swear she was trying to memorize, if not mimic what I was doing. But when I said she could join me, Meeya shook her head and stepped back, clinging to her arms. 

Her manner had always been… odd when it came to my training and practicing kha’tas. Even on the very first night cycle that she brought me here, Meeya had stared as though fixed upon my every move during a kha’ta. Yet something about it also caused her distress, and it confused me enough to make my head ache. Still, it was something to ponder at a later time, and I inhaled again, clicking my mandibles.

~~~

My eyes snapped open as it felt as though something crept along my skin, and I glared at the door leading to the outer area… the bal’ko-nee. Standing up, I noticed it was reaching the middle of the night cycle, and I walked out onto the bal’ko-nee. I gripped the cold metal barrier while scanning the surroundings. Something didn’t feel right. 

The intuition that every Yautja hunter and warrior possessed was making me apprehensive, but I could not find the source. Removing the mask from my side, I placed it over my face and once more scanned the area while also breathing deeply of my own air. Nothing. There was nothing on the scanners… which meant the feeling could involve something else. 

_‘Meeya…’_ I thought as I touched my mask, bringing up her body’s signature, at least where it had been in the last cycle, onto the grid.

Climbing onto the roof of the structure, I had a much better vantage point of which direction Meeya had gone. She had traveled far, no doubt taking one of the ooman land transports like the one she used the night cycle we met. I clenched my fists as the feeling of unease moved along my skin again, and leaping from the roof to the second structure, I made my way to the trees. But instead of moving towards the cleared training area, I rushed in the direction where many land transports traveled at a faster, more urgent pace.

As I reached the edge of the trees, I noticed most of the moving transports were small… too small to be like the one Meeya took. And they were definitely too small for the roof to hold my weight. My pumping blood fueled my body, making me even more anxious about what was going on beyond my sight. What the pauk was happening and why would Meeya be involved? 

Gripping the trunk of the tree I stood on, my claws dug inside the outer layer as a growl rumbled from my throat. I hated not knowing what went on during a situation, and I loathed being practically blind or hindered. Then, a large enough transport came into view, and I noticed it had similar patterns to the one I had seen before. I flexed my hands, bracing my body for the leap. _‘Just a little closer… closer… now!’_

Thick leg muscles bunched as I propelled my body from the tree into the dark sky. Lengthening my body in a stretch, I swung my legs forward and landed in a roll as the momentum of the transport forced me back from my original mark. My claws dug into the metal plating on the transport’s roof, preventing me from being thrown off. Staying in my current position was actually the best thing I could do to stop any other oomans from spying me. 

Looking at the grid in my mask, I saw the transport was heading in the same direction as Meeya’s signature. That had been luck, but if it veered off-course, I’d have to move either to another transport or continue tracking on foot. I had to reach her… the sense of dread crawling along my skin demanded it.

 

[Mya’s POV]

A sigh left my mouth as I sat behind the reference desk in the library, looking around at the few people scattered among the tables on the first floor. Feeling my hair falling out of place, I huffed and removed the long, metal hinge-clip, setting it on the counter. Then, I gripped my hair for practically the hundredth time and twisted it up, using my clip to clamp it in place. 

I had been fidgeting throughout the night since I arrived at the library, and I just couldn’t settle into a comfortable sitting position. No one had approached the desk, not even to use one of the separate conference rooms. This meant I had all the time to dwell on what had happened in my apartment earlier. 

_‘Tor’ac, why did you ask me that?’_ I thought for what felt like the thousandth time, gripping my head in my hands. But it wasn’t just his question, it was what seemed to be beyond the question that had rolled through my mind. It had reminded me that Tor’ac was only here temporarily, most likely until he could repair his cloaking device. I guess I should have been relieved that life would return to normal once that happened. So why did this notion bug the crap out of me? 

With another sigh, I laid my head on my arms against the counter, thinking, _‘I’ve kinda gotten used to him being around… he’s almost as good a friend as Leah or Cassie.’_ Twisting my mouth to the side, I knew when I helped Tor’ac it would only be a temporary situation. I just hadn’t really thought about it all the time he’d stayed with us. 

Thinking back, I remembered coming home and seeing him sitting and staring at me when I entered the apartment so many times. Almost as though waiting patiently just for me to return. I smiled before I even knew what I was doing, I couldn’t help it. It gave me such a… a good feeling when I saw him stare and nod to me in greeting. Even if it was just as a friend, it was enough to make me feel… special. Closing my eyes, some part of me knew that I had to let him go when the time came. It was selfish of me, I know, but I still didn’t want that time to be soon. 

Looking up at the clock, it was already five minutes to closing time, and I quickly stood to do my rounds in the library. The scant people that had been on the first floor had all apparently left, but I still needed to check and be sure no one remained. 

~~~

After checking all the levels and the conference rooms, I locked the doors to the library and headed down the stairs towards the bus area. The outside air had grown colder than when I arrived, and I rubbed my hands together, trying to warm them. _‘Should have brought your gloves,’_ I scolded myself, shivering as I continued walking. 

“Mya? Is that you?” 

Someone called from behind me, and I turned to see a tall, slightly broad-shouldered figure approaching. Frowning, I knew the voice all too well. Kyle had finally decided to show up to do his job after the fact. He stopped next to me, brushing his hand through his short, dark hair and grinning like a loon at me. “I thought it was you, Mya.”

“Yes it’s me, Kyle, going home after doing your job,” I said coolly. Looking up just slightly at him, I don’t know why I thought he was tall when he was only a few inches above me. 

“Was I scheduled to work tonight? Damn, I knew there was something I was forgetting,” he told me, glancing at the sidewalk before meeting my gaze again. “Anyway, thanks for covering for me.”

“Sure… no problem.” I winced, feeling slight cramping from my lower midsection, and I was glad it was the last day of my time, thank God.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Kyle, I’m just tired and want to go home. Goodnight, and next time just do your job, please?” 

Before he could try to say anything that would possibly make me snap at him, like asking if I could cover for him again, I turned and continued down the sidewalk. Kyle wasn’t a bad guy, he just didn’t know where his priorities were when it came to work. I was surprised he hadn’t been let go already, but Mrs. Henderson tried to give people the benefit of the doubt. Pursing my lips, I thought, _‘Sometimes, she does that too much… at least in his case.’_

I suddenly heard footsteps approaching me at a quick pace from behind, and I groaned, turning to face who I thought was Kyle. “What is it now… you!” My eyes widened as I didn’t see Kyle and instead I saw it was a large man I had only seen once before… the night I first helped Tor’ac. In a motion I barely saw, he grabbed my arm, yanking me to him. 

Quickly clamping his free hand over my mouth, he said, “You are going to answer my questions, girl. And you’d better not scream for help… otherwise, there’ll be more trouble than you’re worth.”

As he said this, I watched as three more men, no doubt the others from before, approached where we stood. Each of the three wore some sort of military uniform, and I had to assume they all had some sort of small firearms hidden in their jackets. Swallowing, I tried to calm my erratic breathing, and I forced my tense muscles to relax as much as they could. These men may not have seemed bright, but I didn’t doubt the danger they posed. 

“Where is the creature?” he demanded, removing his hand from my mouth. “That thing that we chased into the building. Where is it?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stammered a little, lying outright. “What creature?”

“What the fuck do you mean ‘what creature’?! You know damn well what creature!” One of the other men bellowed at me. Glancing in his direction, I recognized him as the one who wanted to practically break down the library doors to get inside the first time. 

“Shut up, Kane!” the man holding me snarled at him before looking back at me. “I think you’re lying, girl. You know exactly where it is… so you’d better tell us now.”

“I honestly don’t have any clue what you mean,” I said, giving him a frightened look. It wasn’t far off from how I really felt as my heart was threatening to hammer against my chest once more. But I had to stay calm in this situation, and I couldn’t let them know anything about Tor’ac. 

“Well, you’d better get a clue because if you don’t…” He grabbed my jaw in a viselike grip and forced me to face the guy called ‘Kane.’ “I’ll let Kane continue this interrogation. And believe me, it won’t be as painless as this.”

Inhaling sharply, I watched as Kane gave me a twisted grin and produced what looked like a field knife from his side. He looked like he knew how to use the blade, and I didn’t want to find out how much he could do. My eyes darted to the large man holding me; he had to be the one in charge since the others seemed to obey him. They even gave him a little distance as I noticed an opening to the left where the closest man stood about eight feet away. 

“I…” My voice trailed off into a whisper that none of them could hear. 

“What the hell did you say?” The man gripped my arm a little harder. 

“I…” I repeated what I said, still in a voice compared to a breeze. Soft and quiet, just enough to make one strain to hear.

Huffing, the man leaned the side of his face down to my mouth, ordering, “Say it again.”

Opening my mouth, I shrieked in my highest pitch at the top of my lungs right into his ear and twisted my arm, breaking out of his grasp. I jammed my right elbow into his gut before bolting towards the open space. It was a few moments before I heard the others shouting from behind me. _‘Damn it!’_ Gritting my teeth, I felt my shoes trying to slide off my feet; I had worn slip-on clogs, which were just “perfect” for running.

_‘Oh, hell with it,’_ I thought, turning quickly and swinging my left leg up to kick the shoe off and hopefully hit someone. It didn’t, and I cursed under my breath again as I tried with my right leg. This heavy shoe actually struck one of the three pursuers, right in the family jewels. I watched long enough to see him grip his groin before facing forward, still running in just my socks. 

Ducking through a thick cluster of bushes, I veered away from the sidewalk and dashed around one of the large buildings. I backed away from the building’s edge and pressed my body against the brick wall, panting and trying to catch my breath. As I felt my blood rushing through my veins, I tried to think of something I could use to defend myself. Then, my hand went to the clip holding my hair, pulling it out. The clip was metal, long and somewhat pointed on the end; it would have to do.

With the hinge end gripped in my hand like a knife, I waited and listened for any sound or body to appear around the corner. Someone was running closer, and I braced my body against the wall, deciding, _‘It’ll either be him or me… and I’ll be damned if it’s me.’_ When I saw Kane coming around the side, I clenched my teeth before bringing the clip back and jabbing the point into the side of his neck. Blood began trickling down his jacket in a flowing red stream.

Pulling the clip back, I turned to make another run when he suddenly grabbed my long hair, yanking me back. I hissed in pain but stayed focused, swinging the point of my clip around in an arc and slashing his cheek. 

“Damn fucking bitch!” He yelled, wrenching my head to the side and shoving me to the ground. Grunting as I hit earth, my arm flew up making me lose my grip on my only weapon. No… not my only weapon. Glancing up, I saw Kane holding the wound in his neck, but he still stalked closer to me, a murderous gleam in his eyes. 

Rolling to my side, I brought my left leg up before kicking against his knee; the snap I heard was music to my ears as he crumpled to one leg. I dug my fingers into the ground, struggling to get up, but a grip on my ankle jerked me back. Turning, my eyes widened in horror as I saw Kane holding my ankle in both hands, blood streaming down his torso. 

Twisting his hands quickly, I heard the pop before pain surged through my leg, and I bit back the scream rising in my throat. Tears welled in my eyes, and I fought them down if only to keep my vision from blurring. I heard another approach us and lifted my head in time to see a heavy boot slam into my stomach. Shocked, I couldn’t breathe… couldn’t get any air inside. The blow forced the air from my lungs, and I gasped deeply, struggling to breathe. 

Closing my eyes tight, the pain in my stomach was intensified as both hands went to my middle as I doubled over. It felt as though my insides were being clenched and squeezed beyond any means tolerable as if a blunt weapon had been thrust through my entire torso. 

“Turn her over,” I heard Kane demand as hands gripped my shoulders roughly, ripping my sweater. In the dimness of my mind, I cringed after hearing a zipping sound. “We’ll make her talk… by any means necessary.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: Six  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.  
> Word Count: 6150

# Chapter 6

[Tor’ac’s POV]

My legs couldn’t move fast enough as I rushed through shadowed spaces between the structures, still following Meeya’s signature on my mask’s grid. No matter how fast I pushed myself, in my mind it didn’t feel as though it was enough. Even when her signature appeared in a much brighter color, I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. 

_‘Meeya… Paya, please… let me reach her,’_ I prayed internally as breath left my throat in short gasps. It had been long since I felt the need to pray, but with the danger I sensed so strongly, it was time I did. For Meeya’s sake. 

Rounding the corner of a structure, I stopped and looked up at the top before crouching down. I leapt up and jabbed my wrist blades into the side, gripping the rough stone with my left hand. Climbing up the rest of the way using my claws, I flung myself over the ridge at the top, moving quickly to where I could see more ground. 

Meeya’s heat signature appeared stronger as my eyes followed the path she took, clenching and releasing my fists to try and ease the tension felt throughout my body. Running along the structure’s roof, I braced my legs, propelling my body over a space between this one and another structure similar in height. I landed once more in a tumbling roll on the structure, allowing the forward momentum to carry me to my feet. Then, I heard voices from the opposite side of the structure, male ooman voices. Staying low, I crept to the other end and eased up to scan the ground below.

A sharp rush of air left my lungs as I saw Meeya lying motionless on the ground, four ooman males bending over her still form. Hissing, I recognized the stench these males gave off as the ones who had pursued me before. Two of them held down her arms as a third knelt next to the lower part of her body in a position I knew all too well. My vision seemed to bleed red as my mandibles snapped beneath my mask, claws digging into the stone roof. How dare they… how _dare_ they have the impudence to violate my Meeya. 

Before I could even rationalize my thoughts, I vaulted over the roof preparing for a swift and bloody attack. A guttural roar burst past my mandibles as I landed in a crouch near the one farthest from Meeya. Extending my wrist blades, I drove them straight through his lower torso, ripping up and out through his ribcage. Not bothering to watch his body fall, I moved past him towards where the other three held Meeya, returning my wrist blades to their sheath. 

“Fuck, it’s here!” One of them yelled as the male straddling her turned to face me, the whites of his eyes clearly showing. Gripping his throat, I hefted him off her, pitching his body against one of the large trees behind us. As I turned to level a glare through my mask at the remaining two, both males attempted to crawl away from me. 

Stalking towards them, I glanced at Meeya lying still… so very still on the ground, red blood spattered across her top covering. My mandibles clicked sharply as I snarled and faced the males, still trying to escape. Closing the distance between us, I bent down and grabbed the nearest male’s leg, swinging him directly against the other and sending both sprawling on the ground. 

I moved quickly to where they both lay, closing a clawed hand over each of their throats, and crushed the airways of their necks. Both were dead, their eyes open wide and looking towards the upper atmosphere. Growling, I rose and strode away from them, disgusted yet very satisfied with their deaths. I would not bother taking skulls from such as these even if I were on an ooman hunt. 

Something small and red on the grid in my mask drew my attention, and I looked down to locate the item. Touching the side of my mask, I switched to a normal view in order to inspect it carefully. It was a piece of metal, long and curved almost like a blade, and coated with ooman blood. 

Picking it up, my eyes widened as I recognized it as an ooman hair ornament; Meeya’s scent was beneath the scent of blood. _‘It must be hers. She… used it as a weapon,’_ I thought, imagining her holding the ornament like a dagger and thrusting the thin point inside one of those males. The vision sent a shudder down my spine and brought a groan from my throat. Blinking, I shook my head and gazed at her over my shoulder. _‘Meeya.’_

After tucking the ornament inside my belt, I stood and moved to where she still lay on the ground. I inhaled in an attempt to calm my swiftly pumping blood and to be certain the only death I smelled was male ooman. Releasing my breath, I felt my shoulders relax at finding she lived. 

My legs ached from all the tension and running, it was almost a relief to kneel next to Meeya. Placing a hand against her face, I rasped, “Meeya… Meeya, wake up. Wake!” 

Slowly, she stirred, her eyes moving behind their lids before twitching and opening into small slits. Then, Meeya blinked several times before looking at me, her eyes widening as her heart rate increased dramatically. “T… Tor’ac?”

_‘Thank you, Paya.’_ I sighed, trilling as she stared up at me. “Yes, Meeya.”

“Where… oh, damn!” Meeya cried as her hands moved down to her lower body, covering where her sex was. I cocked my head to the side, hearing her heart rate pound even more before slowly quieting. She was relieved at something, possibly for finding her clothing still in place. “Oh, thank God. Thank God!”

 

[Mya’s POV]

I swallowed a hard lump in my throat as a sigh practically made my body numb with relief. They hadn’t managed to rape me, those bastards. Those fucking sons of bitches! Clenching my fists, I fought the tears threatening to fill my eyes, especially since I didn’t want the image in front of me to blur. Tor’ac was beside me; he had saved me, I knew that. I didn’t know how he got here, and I didn’t care about how or even why he came. He was here.

Biting my lower lip, I couldn’t hold back the flood any longer as tears streaked down my cheeks. I still felt Tor’ac’s warm, rough palm against my face, probably getting wet with my tears, and I placed a hand against his. His hand was so strong, I felt the sinews of hard muscle even while his hand was relaxed. I had never been happier to see anyone as I was now.

“Meeya… can you stand?” he asked in that gruff voice I had become used to hearing. 

Rubbing the back of my right hand over my eyes, I eased my body into a sitting position. My left ankle throbbed when I tried to move it, and I winced, saying, “I don’t think so. Kane that bastard… he twisted my ankle, hell, it feels like he ripped it off.” 

Tor’ac stood, crouching down by my lower legs, and I watched as he lightly placed a hand on my dislocated ankle. I hissed out a breath and felt my left leg twitch involuntarily away from him, and he glanced up at me. Rising, he returned to my side, bending down and wrapping an arm around my back, the other gently scooping my legs up. 

“Uh… Tor’ac… what are…?” I stammered, gaping as he lifted me into the air like I weighed nothing. Swallowing, I still couldn’t believe his strength, and after feeling the hard muscle flexing in the arms holding me, heat bloomed along my cheeks. 

Why was I so embarrassed… or was I even embarrassed? Hell, I didn’t know what to think right now. Maybe because no one had held me like this since I was a child; my father had been the only man to do so. _‘Dad,’_ I thought, my eyes threatening to water again. Blinking fast, I looked up at Tor’ac as he held me against his chest, and he said, “Hold on to me. I’ll try to move as gently as I can without causing further injury, Meeya.”

Shaking my head as my arms wrapped around his neck, I told him, “You can’t do any more to it, Tor’ac. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

He cocked his head to the side and looked at me, bringing a small smile to my lips. I wondered just what he was thinking about my last sentence, especially after finding me as he did. Clenching my teeth at the memory of Kane snapping my ankle, I inhaled and glanced up at the only decent male within range. He just happened to be an alien male. “It’ll be alright.”

“Very well,” he said, growling softly and moving towards a shadowed alley between two of the buildings. 

~~~

We arrived home sooner than I thought the trip would have been on foot, though Tor’ac did use several of the city buses to get us there fast. I was utterly amazed at how fast he moved even with me weighing him down. There were only a few times he removed his arm from supporting my back, informing me what he was doing to give me enough time to hold on around his neck. 

Truth be told, the cold air was finally getting to me as I clung to him for warmth throughout the journey. His body was so warm where I touched him, such hard muscle that held me. I could feel his chest vibrating with that odd purring noise I’d heard when Tor’ac met Kat. Now, it was such a soothing sound, I caught myself nodding my head sleepily only to snap it back up, blinking to wake up.

At the complex, I hugged Tor’ac’s neck as he climbed up the side of our building. Somewhere in the recesses of my tired mind, I was relieved at the lateness of the hour because it meant fewer people could see us. He gripped the balcony railing and hefted both of us over with ease, turning the doorknob and opening the door to find my surprised roommates sitting on the futon.

“Mya! What the hell happened to you?” Cassie demanded after looking over me, standing but still keeping her distance from Tor’ac. “Did he…?”

“No, Cassie!” I frowned at her even thinking that Tor’ac might have made my appearance this frightful. His hold on me seemed to tighten, and I glanced at his mask, wondering what he was thinking or if he was insulted. Huffing, I faced my roommates again, not wanting to deal with this. Not tonight. “I don’t wanna talk about it… please just leave me alone.”

“But…” She stopped when I held up my hand and slumped against Tor’ac’s shoulder and neck. 

“Cass… let her be,” Leah said, and I nodded to her. “We should hit the sack anyway. It’s really late and we’re tired and cranky.”

Watching both leave the living room, I knew I shouldn’t have snapped at Cassie, but right now wasn’t the time to bother me, especially with questions. I lifted my head when Tor’ac moved and laid me on the futon. Almost immediately, my body felt cold without him holding me, and I missed the warmth he shared in his strong embrace.  
He crouched next to my ankle again and prodded it gently, stopping when I bit back a cry. Sighing, he said, “I’ll have to move it back to its place, Meeya.”

“I know.” I nodded to him, biting my lower lip.

“It will hurt.”

“I know… I know.”

He looked up at me, and I wished it was his face I was looking at instead of his mask. I couldn’t see his eyes, and I really wanted to look in them right now… to somehow reassure me. Then, I felt Tor’ac’s hand grip my foot, practically covering it, and he began purring again. _‘He’s trying to prepare me… or soothe me.’_ Swallowing, I waited and gripped the cushion. 

As he snapped my foot in the correct direction, I felt my eyes water again, and I couldn’t hold back the yelp as needles of pain jabbed my foot and ankle. Tor’ac placed both his warm hands around my throbbing ankle, and he gently rotated the joint. It hurt, I knew he was trying to help but it still hurt so much as tears flowed down my cheeks. 

“Tor’ac… ice. Get some ice… please,” I grunted and tried to point to the freezer. 

Removing his hands, Tor’ac slowly stood and moved to the kitchen area, I hoped towards the refrigerator. I heard a long creaking noise, signaling that one of the fridge doors had been opened. Then, came the sound of clacking ice cubes, and I realized he’d probably just bring them in his hands. 

“Tor’ac, get a towel from off…” I stopped when I saw him come back into the living room, holding a large handful of ice cubes and a towel. Blinking, I wanted to ask where he found the towel, but at the moment, it didn’t matter. As I sat up slowly, he knelt down next to the futon, still holding the requested things. 

Taking the towel from him, I held it in both hands and said, “Just drop the ice in there.”

Once all the ice cubes were in the towel, I wrapped and tied them up in an ice pack and leaned over, wincing. My stomach ached from where that one guy kicked me, and I put the ice over my ankle, quickly lying back. Tor’ac bent over me, saying, “Let me see the other damage, Meeya.”

Blinking at him, I hesitated at the idea of lifting my sweater and shirt to almost flash Tor’ac. Even though my sweater was ripped, I had worn an undershirt for an extra layer. So it wasn’t as if he’d already seen me. Growling softly, he grasped my shirts, and I squeaked as he lifted my clothes up while still keeping my chest covered. 

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

I glanced at Meeya’s face, ignoring the sound she made as my hand moved her upper garments just above her stomach. Frowning, I already saw the blood vessels expanding and causing discolor on her pale skin. The discoloring covered an area almost the size of my hand, and it drew a growl from my throat at the one who did this to her. 

Placing my fingers gingerly against the bruised area, I felt Meeya flinch slightly as though that small touch caused great discomfort. I wouldn’t doubt it, but my hand remained in place on her stomach. There was nothing I could do for the bruising, but my curiosity wouldn’t allow me to remove my hand just yet. Lightly brushing my palm along her stomach, I found her skin so smooth, so soft against the roughness of my calloused hand. I cocked my head to the side, recalling touching Meeya before but never realizing the supple texture of her body.

A purr came from my chest before I realized what I was doing, and Meeya gasped, “Tor’ac!”

Blinking, I huffed and moved my hand in a light brush to her side before removing it entirely from her body. I watched as Meeya pulled down her clothes over her bare stomach and slowly sat up. Her face had colored in a way I’d seen before, and I could hear her heart rate increase slightly. _‘She is nervous… or afraid. C’jit, did I go too far?’_

“Tor’ac,” she said, looking up at me. “I don’t think I can… walk to my room. Will you…?”

Sighing inside, I was grateful that Meeya wasn’t afraid; c’jit, what was I thinking? She would not show fear… not from a brief touch such as that. _‘But it wasn’t as brief as you think,’_ my mind hissed. I frowned at my actions which could have been taken as disrespect even if they were meant to inspect her wound. When I deciphered that nothing could help her bruising, I should have ceased touching her. What was wrong with me?

“Tor’ac?” Meeya’s voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I nodded, gathering her into my arms and taking care to not move her injured ankle. She was so light and looked so very small in my grasp.

Walking inside her bedchamber, I gently lowered her to the bed and moved back, kneeling on the cloth floor. I watched as Meeya settled her body into a comfortable position, adjusting the cloth-covered ice. Just remembering the feel of the frozen water made me shake my head and shoulders. 

“I just can’t have any luck with this ankle,” Meeya said, a bitter laugh in her voice. 

“It has given you trouble before?” I asked, tilting my head.

“Well, it’s not the first injury I’ve had on the left ankle. I sprained it in my karate class when I was fourteen… uh, in my kha’tas class.” She turned towards me, and her lips moved down in a frown. “Were you having trouble breathing, Tor’ac?”

Moving my hand to the side, I removed the two breathing hoses and pulled my mask off, setting it next to me. “It was earlier in the night cycle. Meeya, why don’t you practice your kha’tas again?”

Her eyes widened, and I heard her heart rate increase its pace, almost beating inside my own head. What could trouble her so much to bring about such a nervous change? Still, I kept my gaze on Meeya as she clung to her arms, saying, “It… it’s a long story, Tor’ac. And I’d rather not get into it right now. Let’s just say… it involves my parents.”

Nodding, I accepted her reasoning and stood. “I will go, Meeya. You need rest.”

“W… wait, Tor’ac!” She held out a hand, looking at me before lowering her arm. Her heart still raced as it did before, but I noticed the change in her eyes, a gaze that asked something of me. “Um… would you stay? Please?”

I cocked my head to the side, and I lifted my mandibles, trilling lightly. How could I refuse such a request considering what torment she had been through? Sitting down on the cloth floor near her bed, I stared at her as she met my gaze. Her lips moved up in a smile, and I watched her hands grip the outer garment, pulling it over her shoulders and head. 

“So much for that sweater,” she sighed, tossing it across the room. Lying back on her bed, Meeya turned her head in my direction, looking at me with tired eyes. “Tor’ac?”

“Hnn?” I grunted to her, stretching my back and rolling my shoulders.

“Why did you come to Earth?” 

Closing my eyes, I inhaled and exhaled slowly before opening them and locking my stare with Meeya’s gaze. I knew she needed much rest; I could tell from the way her eyes were half-closed now. And I was uncertain about revealing my motives, my mission, for being on the backwater world. “It is a long story that I should not go into detail about… not now. When you are ready to… tell your story, I shall tell you mine.”

“Fair enough.” She made a small noise in her throat, closing her eyes and breathing softly. 

I watched as her heart rate slowed to a calm pace, and her breaths were quiet, almost silent in sleep. She rested so quietly now, even after what happened to her… why? The females I knew on the clanship were strong, but it did not seem likely that they would have handled almost being… I growled deep in my chest. No female should ever be forced, not by any male even her mate. I would rather stab my blades into my gut before forcing Meeya… I blinked.

Where had that train of thought come from? And that thought earlier before I jumped into the fight, what had I thought? Placing a hand on my brow, my mandibles clicked as I tried to recall… my eyes widened. _‘My Meeya.’_ I had unknowingly called her that in my thoughts. Slowly dropping my hand, I stared at the female lying just in front of where I sat. How could I call her mine as I did, this female from a world not like… yet not entirely unlike my own? 

Meeya had chosen to give me aid of her own free will, me, a warrior being that hunted her kind. She had brought me into her home among her friends, gave me food and shelter. Why? She told me it was the ‘right thing’ to do, and I suppose that meant it was most honorable. She had granted me this much honor, this much trust without really thinking it through. And she shared her knowledge with me, her mind so open to much information. 

Shaking my head, I closed my eyes, growling low, “She is ooman… an ooman female…”

Something made my eyes snap open, and I looked up at Meeya, hearing her heart rate increase too fast for restful slumber. Her body shook, her hands clenched into fists with her arms drawn up around her chest. As I stared at her face, Meeya’s mouth quivered and her shoulders trembled uncontrollably. She was afraid, no doubt due to bad images in her mind. I had seen Yautja experience something similar before, and it could even make them cause self-inflicted wounds. 

I stood and moved to her side, lifting her form in my arms and sitting down once more, settling her in my lap. Holding her quivering body next to my chest, a gentle purr rumbled through my body into hers as I placed my free hand against her face. “Meeya, do not fear. Do not let it take your strength,” I growled to her. “Be strong… calm.”

Slowly, Meeya’s heart eased to a more normal beat, and her body relaxed against mine, her head just over my heart. Brushing my fingers against her cheek, I found her face just as soft as her stomach. My thumb slid over her lips; they were even more supple, and a shudder coursed down my spine. _‘She is a female… that I wish to protect and honor.’_

I tilted her head up, raising her body, and bent down close to her small, pale brow. Gently, my mandibles grazed her brow, and as I pulled back, my head cocked to the side, my eyes gazing at her mouth. Still purring, I flexed my mandibles, brushing the top two along her lips. 

“My Meeya.”

 

[Mya’s POV]

When I woke up, the first thing that felt different was the warm and hard something I was lying against. No… not something, someone was holding me. Rubbing my eyes, I opened them to see Tor’ac, eyes closed and his arms wrapped around me. I blinked and turned my head to look at my empty bed, facing him again when I heard, “You’re awake.”

“Yeah… Tor’ac, how did I… get down…?” My brow scrunched as I tried to sort through reasons for why I was on the floor, but my mind was too groggy to really think clearly. 

“You were seeing bad images, and your body was trembling,” he said, purring as one of his clawed fingers stroked my cheek. “I thought holding you would help calm you.”

“’Bad images’? Oh, a nightmare.” I frowned, knowing that it had been a long time since I’d had a nightmare. But after what happened last night, it didn’t surprise me much that I’d have one. I couldn’t remember what I’d dreamt about, and something told me that was probably a good thing. Whatever it was, I would not have liked it. 

The gentle rumble I felt against Tor’ac’s body was vaguely familiar, and I looked up at his eyes watching me. His eyes seemed softer somehow, the green not so piercing. I hadn’t seen that look in his eyes before, yet it seemed… I sighed, lowering my gaze. Biting my lower lip, I knew he had held me throughout the night… just so I could rest after the ordeal. 

“Tor’ac, thank you for helping me through the nightmare… but could you let me get up please?” I asked feeling flushed at his sturdy arms gripping me. It wasn’t unpleasant… it just felt a little awkward being held so close. Like I was something of great value. Not likely in this case. 

Moving his right arm, Tor’ac supported my back with his left arm and helped me get up, almost hesitantly letting me stand alone. I looked at my ankle and surprisingly, it wasn’t as swollen as it should have been. However, adding a little more weight to it brought a hiss from between my teeth, reminding me it still hurt like hell and needed time to heal. 

“Sit, Meeya,” Tor’ac hissed as he rose to his knees in front of me. When I asked why, he growled softly and nudged me to sit.

“Tor’ac, what are you…?” I stopped as he gripped my ankle and began rotating it just like last night. Watching him, I blinked when I didn’t feel as much pain as I had before even if it still hurt. 

“Working the joint around helps reduce swelling and speeds the healing process,” he answered my unfinished question, still slowly maneuvering my ankle. 

I stared at him kneeling in front of me as he focused on my ankle. He had come to me last night; how, I had not the foggiest clue. But he came when I needed him most. I hadn’t even really thanked him for saving me. And he was with me throughout the night, comforting me during a bad dream and allowing me to sleep. 

“That should help.” Tor’ac’s voice broke into my thoughts as he set my ankle down and stood, towering over me. Getting up, I stood right in front of him, tilting my head back to look into his eyes as he cocked his head to the side. I didn’t know how he’d react, but I hoped it wouldn’t be bad. My arms circled his waist in a hug as I leaned my cheek against his chest. 

“Meeya?” he trilled.

“You killed those men last night… didn’t you, Tor’ac?” I asked softly.

He tensed, and I heard his mandibles clicking. “They hurt you… it was dishonorable of them…”

“Thank you.”

“What?”

“Thank you for saving me. Just… thank you.” My grip tightened as I thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t come there. If Tor’ac hadn’t come, God I didn’t want to know.

When he slowly placed his arms around my shoulders, I felt so warm against him. It wasn’t awkward this time, I just felt protected, safe, loved. Blinking, my eyes widened as I felt my face grow warm and not from Tor’ac’s body heat. _‘Loved? Why would I even think that? I mean, he is my friend, but he’s also… a Yautja, a male but still an alien. Still… he didn’t have to save me last night or inspect my ankle… or…’_

“Mya?” Cassie’s voice came through the door, and I looked up, snapped out of my thoughts. “Wanna talk now?”

“Uh… yeah,” I answered, glancing up at Tor’ac as he eyed the door before meeting my eyes. Sighing, I owed my roommates an explanation and despite my current ponderings, I would give them one.

~~~

“Oh my God… they tried to rape you?!” Cassie asked, her eyes wide as she stared at me.

“Yes, which is why I snapped at you last night for accusing Tor’ac.” I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall with Tor’ac standing next to me and both Cassie and Leah on the futon. My roommates were very quiet after I dished out what happened last night. It probably shocked the hell out of them, not so much as me, but it still upset them. 

Cassie seemed the most upset after hearing about it as she stared at the carpet, shaking her head. I glanced at Leah and saw the confused look on her face as she looked up at me. “Mya, this happened last night and you didn’t report it, right?”

“Right. How could I report it with Tor’ac with me?” I asked, biting my lower lip. “Why do you ask?”

“I had a class this morning, and I walked right by the library,” she said. “There was nothing there. No bodies, no police, nothing.”

“What?” I frowned and stood only to wince at the pain from putting too much weight on my ankle. Tor’ac moved and grasped my arm, helping to steady me as I leaned back against the wall. “Nothing? How could there be nothing?”

“I don’t know.” Leah frowned and then looked up at Tor’ac. “No offense, Tor’ac, but after something like that, you’d think they’d have closed off the zone or something.”

Nodding, Tor’ac glanced at me, asking, “What does this mean?”

“It means someone cleaned up the mess.” Inhaling, I turned to him, the one who protected me even knowing the danger of killing in defense. “Someone doesn’t want to attract unwanted attention.”

“Most likely the guys who attacked you have friends somewhere,” Leah said. 

“But how would they know?” I huffed and crossed my arms, looking at the carpet. “I just don’t know, there’s not enough information to go on.” 

“Maybe for now, you’d better just rest and relax at home, Mya.” My calm roommate touched my arm as Leah gave me a worried look. “And not worry us so much.”

“Yeah,” Cassie finally spoke up, meeting my eyes.

“I know, I’m sorry, girls.” Lowering my head, I was almost ashamed of snapping at them when they were just worried about me. I patted Leah’s hand before limping back into my bedroom, touching Tor’ac’s arm as I made it to my door. He followed right after me and stood next to where I sat on my bed. 

Lifting my hurt leg up off the floor, I began rotating my ankle just as Tor’ac had done before. It helped take my focus off what had happened last night and who could have cleaned the scene. I smiled a little, remembering what my mother had said the first time I sprained this ankle. _‘An unused limb will most likely become stiff and useless when you need it most. That goes for feet, too, missy.’_

“Why didn’t I think of that last night?” I asked aloud.

“Think of what, Meeya?” Tor’ac trilled, and I turned my head toward his. 

“My mother was a school nurse, and she once told me something like the advice you said about helping my ankle.”

He nodded and watched as I continued to rotate my ankle. It didn’t hurt as bad this time, but I knew I couldn’t put my full weight on it for at least another few days. The first time I sprained it, I had to miss a week’s worth of karate classes. I thought I’d go crazy or get left behind; such ridiculous thoughts one can have as a teenager. 

Frowning, I also remembered the day of my Cho Dan test, the one for my first degree black belt. I swallowed a hard lump in my throat, then looked at Tor’ac as he stared at me. Inhaling slowly, I released the breath and stopped moving my ankle, asking, “You want to know why I don’t practice kar… kha’tas anymore, right, Tor’ac?” 

“If you wish to tell me, I will listen,” he answered calmly, but his body shifted as though he was more curious than his voice gave away. 

“The day of a… an important kha’tas test, my parents called to let me know they were on their way. I can’t remember what prevented them from being at the studio beforehand, but it doesn’t really matter now. My personal test was coming up soon, and being a typical teenager, I wanted them to hurry so they could see.”

Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly as it felt like my chest was being pressed inward. I kept my breathing steady as I continued, trying to think of how I could explain what happened to Tor’ac.

“Another call soon came… from my father’s boss. There was an accident, and my parents were… they were killed in the crash. A… land vehicle crash. I left before I could even begin my individual test. I couldn’t even begin to focus or concentrate, not that I cared then.”

I stopped and watched Tor’ac kneel in front of my bed, his eyes still trained on me. He lowered his head, saying, “I’m sorry you lost them.”

“You want to know the worst part?” I asked, biting my lip as tears stung my eyes. “A few months after the fact, I find out it wasn’t an accident. Some of my father’s coworkers... team members had arranged it. I didn’t hear all that happened, but they planned my father’s death.”

“What?!” Tor’ac growled as his head snapped up, his eyes locking with mine. “They conspired against your father? Why?”

The look of anger and loss I saw in his eyes made me blink and back away from him. And the ferocity of his questions made me wonder if something similar had happened to someone Tor’ac knew. Closing my eyes, I returned to where I sat before with him directly in front of me. 

“My father was a cop, a law keeper, and he was very good at his job. There were other law keepers who were… greedy and corrupt, and they hated what my father did. And they feared what would happen when my father found all the wrong they did. So they had him and my mother killed.”

Lowering my head, I closed my eyes, squeezing tears down my cheeks. “I had trained in the same style of kha’tas with some of these law keepers. They had trained with me, and they took my parents from me. I couldn’t go back ever, not after knowing that people I had trusted… broke that trust. No organization seemed trustworthy to me, so I just didn’t get involved in anything. There was no point in belonging to a group I couldn’t trust.”

Slowly inhaling, I couldn’t believe I got through telling him without breaking down. I guess time did heal all wounds or at least made them slightly more bearable. Talking about it still hurt me, but it was a pain I could tolerate… just like the pain in my ankle. Then, I felt a large hand on my shoulder, and I looked up into Tor’ac’s eyes. They had returned to that piercing green, but there was something else.

“Meeya, not all are like that. Not all are… corrupt,” he said in his gruff, yet somehow soft tone. “There are those you can trust.”

Staring in those eyes that were so foreign but so very familiar, I knew he was talking about groups in general. But he was also talking about trusting other people… such as trusting him. Warm blush crept along my neck, and I somehow managed to place my hand against his on my shoulder. “I know, Tor’ac… I know.”

Blinking, he began purring and I could feel it down the entire length of his arm into his hand touching me. It was so very soothing, and I smiled at him… my guardian. Tor’ac moved his hand out from under mine, sliding his warm palm up my neck to my cheek. 

“Mya!” Cassie’s shout rang through the walls, and I groaned as I lowered my head, calling, “What, Cassie?”

“I think you need to get out here… and bring him, too.”

Frowning, I met Tor’ac’s gaze, and he raised a heavy brow in what looked like suspicion. He stood and clenched his hands into fists, moving towards my door. I got off the bed and limped after him, bumping against his back when he stopped short in the living room. Leaning towards my uninjured leg, I looked around Tor’ac’s large form and gasped. 

Standing in our living room along with Cassie and Leah were two more Yautja, both somewhat smaller than Tor’ac, but still armored and masked Yautja. Clicking at the two, Tor’ac didn’t make any move towards them, and I guessed they were friends of his. Then, I blinked and my eyes widened as something finally clicked. With them here, our time was finally up. He was leaving.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: Seven  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.  
> Word Count: 4839

# Chapter 7

[Tor’ac’s POV]

(So’len, R’ys.) I clicked, surprised to find both of them here in Meeya’s dwelling. Thinking back to the previous night cycle, I couldn’t recall locking the bal’ko-nee door, which explained how both entered the dwelling easily. 

(Arbitrator Captain Tor’ac,) So’len said as he and R’ys knelt to the cloth-covered floor, bringing their fists across their chests in a respectful greeting. 

(So’len, enough.) I sighed at my second’s formal protocol even if it was meant to honor me. He had been chosen as my second even though I had respectfully declined receiving one from the High Arbitrator when I became a captain. We had been selected and trained as arbitrators at the same time, and beyond my elder brother and the High Arbitrator, So’len was one of the few Yautja I granted my full trust and friendship. 

R’ys was another captain’s second who had been assigned to aid me on my mission. He was always very quiet, and I often wondered if he just didn’t favor idle talk or had some sort of speech problem. 

(Forgive me, Tor’ac, but protocol’s been knocked into my head, literally,) So’len trilled in a chuckle as he and R’ys stood up. Then, his head moved as if looking at my side, asking, (So you mind telling your second what you’re doing in an ooman dwelling?)

Turning my head, I saw Meeya looking from the other two Yautja to me, her pale brow crinkling in the middle. Her eyes held that same look of sadness I’d seen the night I tested her honor and trust, and I felt slight pressure within my chest. Trilling, I pondered what brought on this look that made me feel like a Hard Meat had just stabbed its tail-spike through my torso. 

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, motioning her forward and speaking in ooman, “Meeya, this is So’len, my friend and… second. And the one next to him is R’ys.”

“Do they understand English… my language like you, Tor’ac?” she asked, looking at the others.

Nodding, I answered, “They do just not as much as I do.”

She blinked, smiling a little which took away some of the sadness in her gaze, and I watched in pride as she bowed to So’len and R’ys. “It’s an honor to meet you, So’len and… Ri-iss?”

“Close, Meeya,” I trilled as R’ys cocked his head to the side and huffed. 

Chuckling, So’len crossed his arms, clicking, (Were we… interrupting something, Tor’ac?)

I glared at him, growling for him to shut up and show similar respect to Meeya. She had honored both of them with her bow and greeting, and she deserved the same honor.

“You honor us… Meeya,” my second said in ooman and bowed his head to her. R’ys merely grunted and nodded to Meeya, bringing a growl from both So’len and me. 

Stepping closer to him, I swiftly cuffed the unshielded back of his head, and R’ys hissed at me before lowering his head. I snarled at him before moving back to Meeya, seeing her eyes widen in what I prayed was surprise. When I failed to hear her heart rate increase and didn’t scent any fear from her, I trilled and cocked my head to the side. I had noticed that she seemed to favor this motion as it usually made her smile, and it worked once again when her soft lips moved up.

I looked over at So’len to find him facing Leeyah and Kahsee, and he took a few steps closer. Clicking a mandible, I had almost forgotten that he’d had “encounters” with ooman females before while on the backwater planet. 

(And these females? Are they yours, too?) My second clicked, purring lustfully in their direction and trilling when Kahsee backed away.

(They are Meeya’s friends, Leeyah is the shorter one and Kahsee the tall one,) I answered, growling at his question of claim. None of these females, even Meeya, were claimed as mine. _‘Yet,’_ my mind trilled as I faced Meeya, but my eyes were met by her sad gaze once more. Cocking my head to the side, I rasped softly, “What troubles you, Meeya?”

She looked down at the cloth-covered floor, saying, “You… you didn’t tell me why you were here on Earth.”

Raising a heavy brow, I knew it was more than that, it had to be more than just that. I trilled and gripped her shoulder, saying, “I will tell you now. Like your father, all three of us are law keepers, and I’ve been ordered to bring back one who was accused of behavior befitting a bad blood… I think your word is ‘deceiver.’”

“You mean like a criminal?” Meeya raised her head, and her brow furrowed as she met my gaze. “He’s just been accused? There’s no evidence… I mean proof of his conduct?”

“Oh, there is proof… but he has not been named a bad blood. Not yet.” I growled softly, trying to think my words through. Staring at Meeya, I watched her eyes as she seemed to ponder something. 

“What did he do?” she asked, still looking at me. 

Inhaling, I wasn’t sure that I should tell her such information… but I could not simply lie to her. Not to my Meeya. Still, there was information I couldn’t reveal because of my own inner dilemmas. “He killed a law keeper and four others, seconds like So’len. But it was an act of vengeance as the behavior of these five was… questionable.” 

(Tor’ac… should you really be telling her all this?) So’len clicked, his mask facing me. (She’s not involved. And I’m not sure that the High Arbitrator will favor this.)

(I will not lie to her, So’len,) I growled, staring into the eyes of his mask. Returning my gaze to Meeya, I saw her biting her lower lip as she looked at the floor. (Besides, I am not telling her everything, only what she should know.)

“An act of vengeance?” Meeya spoke up, interrupting my conversation with So’len. “Did he kill any others beyond those five?”

“No.” I shook my head. “However, because he ran, his actions are looked upon in a… negative manner.”

“Hmmm.” She sighed and looked at the bal’ko-nee door. “So… that’s why you were so anxious to go outside at first.”

“It is my mission… but…” I stopped and closed my eyes. “Meeya… I…”

“Should really do what you came to do,” she finished, making me look at her.

“What?” I blinked as my brow furrowed.

Meeya’s eyes were on the floor, and she held her arms together. “I’ve done what I can to help, Tor’ac, and you don’t need my help anymore. You need to finish your mission.”

Both of my brows raised, and I watched her limp inside her bedchamber. She returned holding my mask in her hands, handing it to me as her lips turned up in a smile. Meeting her gaze, I knew her smile wasn’t completely true, but I grasped the mask, saying, “Thank you.”  
Then, I recalled one of the original reasons why I didn’t leave, facing So’len and clicking, (We’ll have to wait until the night cycle. My cloaking unit was damaged.)

(That’s no issue,) So’len said, trilling to Leeyah for a moment before stepping closer to me. Taking the gauntlet off my arm, he inspected it and opened his tool case. 

As my second worked, I faced Meeya leaning against a wall, her eyes on the floor. With her head turned away from me, it was almost as though she was… rejecting me. But her gaze had been so sad when she looked at me. Swallowing, I couldn’t understand, why wasn’t I saying anything to her now? 

Clenching my fists and digging my claws into my palms, I closed the distance between us. I raised a hand and slowly touched her cheek, moving her face to look at me. “Meeya…”

She blinked several times before I felt her hand against mine as she said, “Good luck on finishing your mission, Tor’ac.”

“Thank you, but… Meeya…” I growled to myself, wondering why the pauk I couldn’t speak. “Meeya, I…”

(Tor’ac, it’s finished,) So’len said, approaching us and handing me the gauntlet. 

Gritting my inner teeth and cracking the knuckles of my free hand, I glowered at him and snatched the gauntlet. (Thank you, So’len.) I sighed and removed my other hand from her face to replace the gauntlet before turning back to Meeya.

“Go… and be safe, Tor’ac,” she said, lowering her head. 

Was Meeya rejecting me? The pressure in my chest increased as I stared at the female who had honored me, yet I could not honor her in kind. That did not sit right with me, but with So’len and R’ys’s arrival, I had to think of my mission. My thoughts could not be on her confusing manner… not now. 

(She is right, we should go now,) So’len agreed as he turned his head to look outside. (The night cycle will be here soon enough.)

Nodding to him, I lifted my mask up and met Meeya’s eyes once more without my face shield before attaching the breathing hoses. I stared through the eye sockets and heard her heartbeat increase rapidly as she looked at me. Then, she held out her hand to me, a gesture I’d seen before among other oomans. I grasped her hand; it was so small and very soft as I brushed the pad of my thumb against the back of it. 

I felt the blood pumping faster through the veins in her hand at my touch, and I cocked my head to the side once more. Just as before, her lips turned up in a smile, and I felt the pressure in my chest lift some. To hear Meeya’s heart race was… more than I could describe as a deep rumble emitted from my chest. 

(Tor’ac.) I heard So’len’s voice, but I couldn’t release her. I wouldn’t. She ended up releasing her gentle grasp, forcing me to let go of her hand. 

 

[Mya’s POV]

I didn’t want to let him go, but I knew I had to. He needed to complete his mission. Watching as Tor’ac placed the mask over his face, I felt my insides clench and his leaving seemed even more real. If So’len and R’ys weren’t standing in the living room, I wouldn’t believe this was happening. But they and Tor’ac had their masks on, ready to depart.

The other two were standing near the balcony door; Tor’ac joined them and then hesitated, turning and looking right at me. I chewed on my lower lip, preventing myself from saying anything more as I stared into the glassy eyes of his mask. Then, he brought up his wrist and tapped his claws against the guard, and his body vanished, becoming only a disruption in the air. 

Opening the door, all three disruptions moved outside, and I slowly followed them to the doorway. The shorter two disappeared, climbing along the side of the building, and the large one I knew was Tor’ac stopped. I heard a soft trilling noise, and I had to close my eyes to stop any tears. When I reopened them, he was gone. 

“Be safe, Tor’ac,” I whispered, closing the balcony door.

A hand patted my shoulder, and I looked at Leah as she stood next to me near the balcony door. “Missing him already, Mya?”

“Yeah.” Swallowing, I felt my knuckles cracking and gripped my hands together, turning and limping towards my bedroom. “I had to let him go. He was here for a reason… and he’s going to do that now.”

“Are you alright?”

“Of course I’m fine, Leah. Why wouldn’t I be fine? Everything is peachy.” Limping into my bedroom, even I hardly believed what I just said to Leah, but what else could I say? I was glad to help Tor’ac and now he could move on and finish his task. Very happy to help.

Closing my bedroom door, I leaned my head against the wall and squeezed my eyes tight. _‘Shower… I could really use a shower.’_ I’d spent almost the past two days in the same clothes, and taking a shower would help me feel better. Hopefully in more ways than one. I went through my dresser and picked out fresh clothes before heading to the bathroom. 

~~~

Inside the bathroom, hot, steaming water gushed through my hair, trailing down my back as I stood under the spout. Washing my hair normally calmed me down, and I rubbed the shampoo in my long hair to a nice thick lather. I turned around to rinse out the suds and stopped when my eyes were on the tiled area where Tor’ac had braced himself when I was removing the bullets.

Warm water trickled down my cheeks, and I knew it wasn’t from the showerhead. Who the hell was I kidding saying I was fine and happy? My friend, my guardian was gone, and he wasn’t going to come back. I mean why should he? What reason did he have to return here? 

Shutting my eyes, I bit my lower lip as my head bowed, allowing more water to sluice through my hair. I had to let him go… didn’t I say that before? But that didn’t mean I had to like it… I knew I’d said that before, too. How could a person just fall in your life and then just as easily vanish into thin air… literally in Tor’ac’s case? A bitter sound came from my throat as I thought, _‘If I knew that answer, I wouldn’t be feeling like this.’_

I turned the shower off and wrapped a towel around my wet hair before draping another across my shoulders. Drying all the water dripping from my body, I dressed and limped back into my room. I had to do something to keep my mind preoccupied. The more free time I had, the more time I had to dwell on things I’d rather not.

Immediately, I went to turn on my computer; if there was one thing that could distract, it was the Internet. After booting, I clicked to check my messages, one from my uncle about bank account transfers for the next semester and some junk mail. I groaned in disgust, deleting the junk and replied to my uncle, saying I’d call him later to discuss it. 

Then, there was another message that just arrived after I sent my reply. It was from Mrs. Henderson.

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

Moving along the tops of the large structures as we searched for our quarry, I found my mind wandering back to Meeya. Her eyes had held such a sad look when I left, but her actions and words told me to go and do the ordered task. A sigh left my inner mouth, and I stopped in the shadowed area between two structures. So’len and R’ys stopped nearby, and my second made his way to my location.

(Tor’ac, what’s with you? Still dwelling on that female?) He asked, cocking his head to the side. 

(I’m not dwelling, So’len. Just… thinking about this whole mission.) I growled low and looked at him.

(What about it?) 

(I don’t believe he should be classified a bad blood. Retrieving him would only seem to justify the council’s choice of labeling him.)

I heard a low trill from my second as So’len looked out into the open area where the light was slowly dimming. (Tor’ac, if they really wanted to label him a bad blood, why would they have given you the task of pursuing him? Do you think High Arbitrator Ga’av would have ordered him to be returned alive?)

Clicking my mandibles thoughtfully, I sighed as I knew the High Arbitrator would not have bothered to send me if this mission was a lost cause. Ga’av did not waste time on what he believed was worthless, one of the traits I and others admired about him as a leader. (You’re right, So’len.)

(Of course I am, Tor’ac, you just don’t trust me enough.) He trilled. Then, he clapped a large hand on my shoulder. (And you don’t need to lie about thinking of her, Tor’ac. You’ve been looking back the entire time since we left.)

Sighing, I caught myself doing exactly what So’len claimed I was doing, and I fingered my belt, touching the hair ornament still tucked there. (I just… can’t forget her. Meeya… my Meeya has more honor than you’d know, So’len.)

(Oh? So you now claim her as ‘yours’?) So’len chuckled before shaking his head. (Ooman females are nice to have around in between hunts here, but I’d never expect to become that close to one. Do you really want to claim her as a mate, Tor’ac?)

Nodding my head, my mandibles clicked as I thought about the past cycles I had spent with her. If I had wanted to leave her, I could have at any time during the night cycle. But something always held me back and not just the unease of this mission. It was Meeya… just Meeya. Staring at the eyes of So’len’s mask, I rumbled, (She healed me, trusted me, shared with me more than I can grasp now. She has given me such honor, and I’ve never wanted a mate more than I do now. Yes… she will be claimed as my mate.)

(What about High Arbitrator Ga’av? Do you think he’d allow this?)

(It is not unheard of, taking an ooman female as a mate. Other clans have had ooman females become part of their clans. Why should ours be different?)

(Tor’ac… we are arbitrators. I’m not sure that your rank will aid your choice.)

Shaking my head, I felt my locks strike my shoulders before settling against my back once more. (No, because she will have more than my rank on her side. She will have her own rank… as a sol’rach.)

As I watched So’len, my second reared his head back, clicking, (You think she would be considered a sol’rach?)

(If they knew her as I do, she would have that rank granted to her.) I trilled to my second. I knew Meeya’s knowledgeable mind would be very valuable. She was a sol’rach, I knew this was true. (She has this… Hunter’s fire within her, but its fuel is knowledge. I’ll prove it to the High Arbitrator that she is a sol’rach… somehow.)

(Whatever you decide, Captain, you have my support.) So’len rapped his fist against his chest and nodded to me in a sign of trust. Then, he motioned to his wrist, asking, (Are you feeling anything odd with your gauntlet?)

Shaking my head, I lifted my arm up and looked at it, inspecting it through a different vision setting in my mask. (It’s working properly, like it was never damaged.)

(Just checking. It’s been awhile since I’ve worked on the cloaking mechanism in any of these, so if your wrist gets warm or anything…)

(So’len, it’s fine,) I told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. (You and Ka’jai were always better technicians than me.)

(Unfortunately, that’s the problem now with finding him.) So’len tapped a claw against his mask. (He knows enough to adjust his cloak and somehow hide his signature from us even when we use different vision settings.)

Sighing, I nodded before cocking my head to the side and mulling over other possible ways that we could find Ka’jai. I knew that if he had really turned bad blood, there would have been more killing and destruction both here and on the clan ship. That would have made this an entirely different mission. I knew he still had his honor, even if the council was uncertain. But I couldn’t understand why he had not confronted me once I arrived on this backwater planet. He was still in hiding, and that confused me.

_‘Brother… where are you?’_

 

[Mya’ POV]

I couldn’t believe I was standing in front of the library again after what had happened last night. And what seemed even more stupid on my part was that I was alone. But since I was meeting Mrs. Henderson, there wasn’t any reason to bring Leah or Cassie with me. She had asked me to come to the library tonight because she’d found odd neon green spots on the third story floor. 

Instantly, my mind went to Tor’ac and the night I’d helped him, and I couldn’t remember how much blood had gotten on the carpet. At the time, it didn’t really matter, but now, it worried me that Tor’ac might be discovered. Against my better judgment, I took the evening bus up to campus and limped my way to the library. 

Standing near the steps, I looked around for Mrs. Henderson and rubbed my arms, trying to get warm in the chilly weather. I leaned all of my weight on my good ankle and lifted the injured one, slowly rotating it and only stopping when it began to really hurt. My eyes scanned the area once again. _‘Where could she be? It’s after nine already.’_

“Hey, Mya,” an all-too familiar voice came from behind me. 

Turning my head, I narrowed my eyes as Kyle sauntered up the sidewalk towards me. Why the hell he was here I’d no clue until my eyes went beyond him. About a dozen men stood in a cluster behind Kyle, and I slowly turned my body to face him. “Kyle… what are you doing here?”  
Shaking his head, he looked up at me, saying, “I knew you’d do anything for that old, bitchy biddy.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I pursed my lips at the insult aimed at Mrs. Henderson before looking once more at the crowd behind him. “I don’t think you should talk about your boss like that.”

“My ‘boss’? Right, like that woman could really call herself my boss,” he scoffed. “Nah, I was sent to finish the job that those fuckers couldn’t do last night even after I set it up for them. Just like I set this meeting up, too.”

 _‘Damn, why doesn’t that surprise me?’_ I thought, slowly stepping back. “You hacked the system and sent me that email.”

“Yep, because I know you’d do anything for dear Mrs. Henderson.” He whined the last part of his sentence making me clench my fists.

“You sent those guys after me? Why?”

“Oh, don’t give me that line, Mya.” Kyle took another step towards me as did the group behind him. “You can’t act stupid after what I saw last night—that thing hovering over you before taking you away. Yeah, who would want to question you?”

Blinking, I knew there was no point in playing dumb like I had last night. Even if I had thought Kyle was bluffing, there was no denying the danger present behind him. How could I have been so stupid to come up here alone? I could kick myself for not even telling Leah and Cassie about the email. And no matter how much I wished it, I knew Tor’ac wasn’t going to come charging to save me again. He was gone. 

“Now, are you going to come with me or are you going to make this more interesting, Mya?” Kyle sneered, still approaching me. I saw his hand motion towards the others, and the group stopped as he stalked closer. 

Inhaling softly, I grasped for something, anything I could do to get me out of this situation. With my ankle still throbbing, there was no way I could run out of here. As for fighting him… well, kicking was definitely off the list. And there was no way in hell I’d just go with them. I’d die before just giving up. 

_‘Alright, he wants it more interesting, I’ll give him interesting,’_ I thought, glaring at Kyle as he was nearly upon me. 

When he was within reaching distance, I bent to the right and swung my arm and fist up, aiming for his side. Kyle flinched and stepped to the side, grabbing my wrist and yanking me against him. Cursing, he reached his free hand inside his coat, pulling out a gun. “That was a mistake, Mya. Now I’ll definitely have to finish what they started.”

“You bastard!” I hissed, baring my teeth at him and bringing back my free hand. 

The cold metal of the gun barrel against my face forced me to put my fist down, and Kyle smirked. “That’s better. This’ll be fun, so try to enjoy it.” Releasing my wrist, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, still keeping the gun pressed against my cheek. 

Then, I heard a high-pitched whistling noise, almost like a firecracker, and my eyes widened as something bright shot right past us. Following it with my eyes, I watched as it exploded within the tight cluster of men, sending some flying through the air while most fell dead to the ground. For a brief moment of shock, my eyes darted to the library, and I sighed in relief that whatever that blast was hadn’t damaged the building. Another shot was fired, forcing my attention back to the group, and any of the bodies that had moved after the first shot grew still. 

“What the fuck was that?!” Kyle bellowed, pulling me to him and shoving the gun against my temple. “Son of a bitch… show yourself! I will kill her if you don’t show yourself, you fucker!”

All that ran through my head was Tor’ac, he’d come for me again. Even after leaving to finish what he came to do, he still found me somehow. Swallowing hard, I felt my heart beating against my chest in fear of death pointed at my head and elation that Tor’ac was here. I scanned the area, trying to see any sort of movement or disruption in the air. 

There! My eyes widened as I saw Tor’ac’s tall cloaked form moving closer to us. Glancing to the side where the gun was pointed at me, I thought, _‘Screw it.’_ Just as I was about to move, a low growl rumbled beside Kyle, and with a yell, he pointed the gun where he thought Tor’ac was, shoving me away. 

Losing my balance, I grunted as I hit the ground, thankfully landing on my right side to protect my injured ankle. As I raised my head, I saw the twin blades appear from Kyle’s back before ripping up and out the right side. I clamped a hand over my mouth and swallowed quickly, looking away to stop the churning in my stomach. 

A soft trilling made me glance up, and I saw Tor’ac’s tall cloaked form standing over me. I couldn’t stop the smile on my lips as he bent down and carefully touched my ankle. 

“It’s alright, I’m fine,” I assured him, and he answered me with another trill. From what I could see despite his cloaking device, his arms scooped under my legs and supported my back as he picked me up.

Immediately, my arms went around his neck as I pressed my forehead against his cold mask. I closed my eyes and sighed, so happy that Tor’ac came for me yet again. His next trill sounded almost like a question, but I could only focus on him being here. 

“Tor’ac…” I breathed against his mask.

His grip around my torso tightened for a moment before I heard his feet pounding against the ground in a run.

~~~

It didn’t seem like we ran very far from the campus, and I opened my eyes to see Tor’ac had brought me to what I guessed was a warehouse. The place was empty of everything but some cardboard boxes, and I leaned my head back to look at the high ceiling. Definitely a warehouse, but where it was, I couldn’t say. 

Slowly, Tor’ac lowered my legs to the floor before releasing me from his grasp. I watched him step away from me, and I frowned, wondering what was wrong. Standing and looking over his cloaked form, I thought he looked a little taller than before. Or maybe I really couldn’t remember how tall he was. 

Watching his almost invisible form, I saw one of his hands move to the other arm, and I thought he was deactivating his cloak. With small cracks of blue lightning, his form appeared in front of me. But something seemed off… even in the shadows, I could have sworn his mask looked different. The armor covering his shoulders, chest and legs were familiar, but his skin. The color was too light.

I blinked and stared into the eyes of the odd mask, and he raised a hand up to pull out two hoses from his mask. Lifting the metal face-guard up, my eyes widened as I looked at his face and stepped back. It wasn’t Tor’ac.

“Who are you?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: Eight  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.  
> Word Count: 4058

# Chapter 8

[Mya’s POV]

“Who are you?”

I watched as the strange Yautja cocked his head to the side in the same manner that Tor’ac did, but I wasn’t sure the action meant the same thing with all of them. Biting my lower lip, I tried to keep a calm mind. I mean, he wasn’t Tor’ac, but he did save my life for some reason or another. Then, a thought crossed my mind that made my stomach clench.

_‘Shit, is he the one that Tor’ac’s trying to find? The… what was the word? Bad blood?’_ My eyes stayed on him as he looked at me and trilled again in a questioning manner. _‘But… Tor’ac said he wasn’t sure that he was really bad, and why would he save me if he’s a criminal?’_

“I’m going to ask one more time, who are you?” My voice sounded steady and firm even though it felt like my insides were jumping all around. _‘I wonder if he can even speak English… maybe not.’_

“What have you been told?” A deep, grating voice came from his direction, and I blinked at the sound of his voice. It had a depth to it that was different than Tor’ac’s, and I thought it might mean he was older. 

“What… what I’ve been told?” I coughed, trying to think about what Tor’ac had said earlier. He clicked something and moved towards me, his hand going to his belt. I tensed for a moment, thinking he might bring out a weapon of some sort, but instead he stopped and held out something to me. 

Looking from his hand up to his face, my mouth twisted to the side. I reached out a hand, and he placed a pouch or bag of some kind in it. My hand grasped it and I heard the sloshing noise of liquid; it looked like a waterskin, one of the strange ones you sometimes see in movies, with a tapered opening on one end. I glanced in his direction again as he tilted his head to the side.

“What’s in it?” I asked, uncertain.

“Water.” He inhaled slowly and exhaled in a sigh. 

Blinking, I lifted the opening to my lips and drank. It had such a different taste from the tap water I was used to, almost with a sweetness added to it. I thought back to a camping trip when we stopped at a fresh spring of water; it had tasted kind of sweet, too. Moving the waterskin back down, I looked at him and bowed my head. “Thank you.”

He blinked at me and angled his head in a nod, a return of respect I suppose. As my eyes drifted up again, I studied his face, blinking a few times to not look like I was staring. The mottled dark pattern along his lighter skin was rather similar to Tor’ac’s, but that could just be a common trait to their people. Something else about him seemed familiar, too; I just couldn’t figure it out. 

“So… are you the one they’re looking for?” I asked, handing him the waterskin. 

Placing it on his belt, he crossed his arms and stared at me. “Depends. Who is looking for someone?” 

My mouth twisted to the side as I huffed, placing one hand on my hip and pointing the index finger of the other towards his face. “Look, I don’t have time for this. My roommates are going to be worried enough as it is since I’ve been gone so long. I’m grateful for you saving me, thank you for your help. But please, can I get some straight answers?”

Raising a heavy brow to me, he cocked his head to the side as his eyes stayed with mine. He didn’t seem that unnerved by my show of aggression, and I sighed, dropping my hand. 

“At least tell me your name?” I suggested, tilting my head to the side like him. “I’m Mya.”

One of his mandibles clicked softly as he lowered his gaze from me. Then, his eyes met mine again, and he uncrossed his arms, straightening to his full, imposing height. “Ka’jai.”

“Ka… jai?” I asked tentatively, wondering if I said it correctly. When he nodded, I felt my shoulders relax a little as I thought, _‘At least we’re getting somewhere.’_

“Why did you help him?” Ka’jai questioned in his grating tone as he took a step in my direction. 

“What? Help who?” It took me a moment to think of Tor’ac, and I frowned at this strange Yautja. “Wait, how did you know…?” 

“It is not your concern,” he growled softly, turning his head away from me. Then, his eyes flicked towards me as he queried again, “Why did you offer him aid?”

“Maybe that’s not your concern,” I answered, crossing my arms and pursing my lips. 

A low growl rumbled from Ka’jai as he turned his entire, massive body in my direction. “Tor’ac is my concern! That is all you need to know, Ooman!”

Blinking at his aggressive posture, I thought about my options, trying to find the one that would either calm this Yautja or at least not force him to hurt me. My brow furrowed as I thought, _‘He could have hurt me at any time from the library to just standing here. But instead he chose to help me… wait.’_

“Why did you save me? Was it just because I’m weak and needed help?” I asked, uncrossing my arms.

Ka’jai stepped back a little, his posture relaxing slightly from his challenging stance. “You were in need of aid. My honor bids me to help those who are… worthy of assistance.”

“Worthy in what way?” I pressed, inhaling softly.

He clicked his mandibles in almost the same way Tor’ac did, answering, “You were being threatened… and you had also helped another Yautja.”

“I helped him because he was in trouble, too. It was the right thing to do.” Rubbing my arm, I wondered how strange it might seem that a human female felt the need to help a Yautja male in the eyes of Tor’ac’s people. It didn’t really matter now, and I gave a small smile. “And I don’t regret helping him.”

“You are… a very strange ooman,” Ka’jai said, shaking his head. It sounded like he chuckled slightly, so he seemed less tense than before. 

Tilting my head to the side, another question presented itself to me. “Why did you bring me here, Ka’jai? You could have left me back at the library after… after killing all those men.”

Inhaling slowly, his gaze went over me, and I turned my head to see the doors leading into the warehouse. “If you are here, he will come. By coming for you, he will find me.”

“Wait a sec, if you wanted to see Tor’ac, why didn’t you just approach him before?” I asked, confused at his logic before my eyes widened a little as I turned to face Ka’jai. “You’re not going to hurt him, are you?”

“If that is required, so be it. Why does it concern you?”

“He’s my friend, that’s why!” Narrowing my eyes, I stepped forward onto my hurt ankle and winced as a jolt of pain raced through my foot. “Crap… forgot about that.”

With a huffed sigh, Ka’jai strode behind several dozen stacked boxes before returning with something large and furry in his arms. As he approached, my body stiffened slightly despite my efforts to stay relaxed; I was anxious that he might be offended by my outburst. He set whatever he was carrying on the floor next to me, hissing, “Sit down.”

When I didn’t comply quickly enough, he rose and pushed against my shoulder, almost making me topple to the floor. My hand touched what was on the floor, and I looked down; it was a long and rather soft skin. I looked up at Ka’jai as he knelt down a few feet from me clicking his mandibles. _‘He wanted me to be comfortable,’_ I thought, with a sigh. _‘I don’t understand all his actions… but I can’t see him as a bad person.’_

“Do not be concerned with the prospect of a clash between myself and Tor’ac,” he growled softly, his eyes meeting mine. “He is not my enemy, and I will not treat him as such.”

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

Staring out over the darkened streets and structures, I sighed and looked at So’len and R’ys. So’len looked ready to go to the Black Hunter’s depths with me and back again, but I could see the tense frustration building in R’ys’s shoulders. I had to make a decision on what to do.

(We’ve covered as much of this area as we can.) I growled to them, cracking my neck. (You two should head back and see if the navigators have managed to track Ka’jai’s ship. I’ll return as soon as I can.)

R’ys immediately nodded and leapt to the top of the structure across from the one we stood on. However, So’len cocked his head to the side, his mask staring at mine. (You’re going to check on her?)

(Should it matter if I am?) My shoulders rolled up in a shrug before dropping down into a relaxed position. 

(I’m coming with you.) He stated.

(Can’t trust me with a group of females, So’len?) I chuckled, cursing inside because he would probably hasten my time with Meeya.

(Why should you have all the fun, Tor’ac?) He trilled before looking out among the structures again. Inhaling, a low growl came from him. (Humor aside, Tor’ac, Ka’jai is still out there, and he might choose to come to you. I don’t know what he might do…)

(Enough, So’len.) A warning growl came from my throat as I cracked my knuckles. (He is my brother.)

(I am saying act with caution, Captain,) So’len hissed. (I looked up to Ka’jai as well, and I want to believe the Council is wrong. But if it comes to a choice between you and a possible Bad Blood, I will not choose him.)

Huffing, I understood So’len’s concern and nodded. (Very well, but if we do encounter him, let me engage him first. Let’s go.)

As we moved along the tall structures, I noticed something strange on the far section of my grid and signaled So’len to stop. Looking in the direction of the disturbance, I queried, (What does that look like to you, So’len?)

(The remains of a blast from a plasma cannon,) he clicked, his eyes trained on the same area I was scanning. (You don’t think R’ys encountered Ka’jai, do you?)

(No, the ship isn’t in that direction… unless he took a less direct route trying to do one last scan.) Growling, I clenched my fists at the idea of R’ys doing something dense such as having an open confrontation alone. I wanted to believe that Ka’jai wouldn’t have attacked him in the open. Still, my mind hissed that I shouldn’t think my brother incapable of meeting another Yautja in combat. Silencing that part of my mind, I had to trust in him; otherwise no one else would. (Come.)

~~~

So’len and I stood on the roof of the structure where I had searched for Meeya just the previous night cycle, and I immediately felt something twist in my chest at the memory. Coming to this place a third time did nothing to ease my mind, and I wondered what bad luck the gods had placed on this area. _‘It’s due to your presence of course,’_ my mind murmured, and I growled low in my chest. 

(Tor’ac,) So’len said, motioning towards the area below where many ooman bodies were lying. Each of them either held a weapon or had one nearby. (Ka’jai has been here… I wonder what drew him out to this area.)

I cocked my head to the side, asking the same question. Running through my grids, I inhaled sharply as I recognized Meeya’s heat signature showing in the area. It was too strong to be what remained from the previous night cycle. What the pauk was she doing here again? But what troubled me most was that her signature wasn’t moving in the direction of her dwelling. Instead it was traveling in the opposite way. 

(Meeya was here,) I rattled softly. (Could he have…? No, Ka’jai wouldn’t…)

Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I turned to face So’len as he clicked, (We cannot be sure, Tor’ac. You say she was here recently?)

(Yes, but her signature’s not leading back to her dwelling.) Inhaling slowly, I clenched my fists as I wondered if and why my brother would involve Meeya. He wouldn’t dare harm her. Even though he was my brother, if he hurt Meeya, he would suffer ten-fold the amount of her pain. (Let’s follow the trail.)

(What about the oomans?) So’len glanced down once again at the strewn bodies. 

I shook my head slowly and moved along the roof towards Meeya’s trail. (There’s nothing we can do, and it does not matter as long as there is no proof of our presence. Because of the plasma cannon, it will look like the results of an explosive.)

Hearing So’len’s footsteps thudding behind me, I increased my pace and leapt to the next structure, heading in the direction that Meeya’s heat signature was going. Gritting my teeth, I knew I’d gotten her involved in all of this. Even if it was her choice to help me, it was I who accepted her assistance. And now, by leaving her behind, I had brought her more trouble. As I jumped to the roof of another structure, I swore to myself that I would protect her; I would not leave her again.

(There!) I called, pointing out a large structure where Meeya’s signature was the strongest. The structure seemed large enough to hold one of the smaller cruising vessels, so it was possible for her to be in my brother’s custody. Stopping on the roof of the structure across from it, I could only see Meeya’s signature. _‘Ka’jai, if you are still my trusted brother, you won’t have harmed her.’_

I tried to keep my mind calm, but my concern for Meeya still thrust itself to the forefront of my thoughts. Clicking my mandibles to relieve some of the tension, I glanced at So’len as he stared at the structure. He placed a hand on my shoulder, clicking, (Do not start thinking negatively now, Tor’ac.)

(I know, So’len, I know,) I huffed back, returning my gaze to the structure. (Contact the High Arbitrator and wait here. I’m going in alone.)

(Tor’ac, I don’t think…) 

Facing So’len, I cut him off before he could finish. (So’len, that is an order. He is my brother, and I will deal with this myself.)

(As you command… Captain.) His hand dropped to the side as he nodded to me. (Good luck.)

(If Paya is still with me, I won’t need it,) I clicked, grasping and shaking his shoulder. _‘I’m coming, Meeya.’_

 

[Mya’s POV]

“He is here.” Ka’jai’s voice interrupted the somewhat calm silence between the two of us. Blinking, I watched as he placed his mask once more over his face. 

“What are you going to do?” I asked, standing up with only a little trouble from my ankle. 

Ka’jai’s masked face turned towards me, and I heard his mandibles clicking even inside the metal faceplate. “I will meet and speak with him. You are staying here.”

“No way.” I pursed my lips and crossed my arms. “Tor’ac’s my friend, and I want to see him. Besides, if what you say is true about me being used to bring him here, I should be out in the open, too. If you really just want to talk with him, don’t give him any reason to doubt you.”

His head reared back in what seemed like shock, and he trilled, “You may be a strange ooman, but you seem to think a little like a Yautja Arbitrator.”

“Does that worry you?”

Chuckling, Ka’jai shook his head. “No, it just reminds me of how your kind is changing more.”

“What about going out to meet Tor’ac?” I questioned, briefly looking at the entrance before turning to face him.

“Fine, we will both wait for him here,” he said, glancing towards the large doors of the warehouse. Then, Ka’jai craned his neck back to look at the huge windows lining the upper wall of the building. 

When I followed where his gaze was, I couldn’t see anything. The windows were all dark from the night sky, and it was hard to see any sort of movement. But I was sure that Ka’jai would definitely know when Tor’ac entered the building. Staring at him, I saw that his gaze was still on the upper windows. 

_‘Maybe… wait, what’s that?’_ I saw something shift out of the corner of my eye and turned to see the moving transparent outline of a figure. Then, blue lightning crackled along the tall body, and Tor’ac materialized, still striding towards us. “Tor’ac!”

A low purr came from his chest as powerful arms enveloped me, drawing me closer to the source of the comforting, warm sound. Heat flushed along my cheeks as I found my torso cradled against Tor’ac. I was sure he could practically feel my heart hammering through my chest against his. Then, he said, “Meeya.”

“I’m… happy to see you, too, Tor’ac,” I managed to say clearly through the muscled chest near my face. “It would help if I could actually ‘see’ you.”

Trilling, Tor’ac released me, his clawed hands gently grasping my shoulders. I was a little miffed with him wearing his mask right now; part of me really wanted to see his face, his eyes. But despite that, I was very glad to see my protector again. 

Tor’ac slowly raised his head until his mask was looking behind me, and he guided my body until I was behind him more or less. Blinking, I had almost forgotten Ka’jai was there, too. Damn, where was my mind tonight, somewhere in orbit? A hiss brought my attention back to the two male aliens standing in front of me, and I heard Tor’ac huff, “Why did you bring Meeya here, Ka’jai?”

“I needed a means to bring you here since you couldn’t locate me,” Ka’jai replied with a slight shrug of his huge shoulders. “Since you had spent so much time with her, it was logical to think you would come for her.”

“That’s no excuse for taking her!” Tor’ac clenched a fist and stepped closer to the taller Yautja. 

“Tor’ac, he didn’t take me! I thought he was you when he saved me tonight,” I said, moving around him and placing a hand on his arm. My touch made him turn to face me, and I inhaled slowly. “Kyle was the inside man… the one working with the four men that were chasing you. He lured me back to the library and… would have finished their job if Ka’jai hadn’t come and saved me.”

“She seems to have difficulty avoiding trouble,” Ka’jai trilled and shook his head as he looked from me to Tor’ac. 

“Yes… she does,” Tor’ac agreed, cocking his head to the side as his mask faced Ka’jai. “Thank you for saving her… Brother.”

_‘Brother?’_ My eyes widened before blinking and looking between the two of them. The mottled pattern on their skin was rather similar despite the color differences, and then, I looked at the spikes along the crowns of both Tor’ac and Ka’jai’s heads. The shapes were almost parallel to each other’s. Although I hadn’t really seen Ka’jai’s eyes closely when his mask was off, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were green. 

“Well, that explains some things,” I mumbled to myself even though both Yautja looked at me. My eyes shifted between Tor’ac and Ka’jai, and I bit my lower lip at having their masks staring at me. “You both have similar physical attributes that I couldn’t really place as familial when I first saw Ka’jai.”

Tor’ac nodded to my explanation while Ka’jai shook his head, chuckling, “She is a rather… interesting ooman.”

“I won’t argue that point,” Tor’ac said, a soft purr in his voice. Then, his mask once more met Ka’jai’s. “Brother, I’m sure you are aware of my second’s presence outside.”

Glancing at Ka’jai, I saw him nod before heaving a huffed sigh. “They will be here soon?”

“Most likely…” Tor’ac stopped and looked at his gauntlet, flipping it open, and I noticed something flashing on the small screen. 

“‘They’?” I asked, looking into Tor’ac’s mask. “Do you mean the other… law keepers?”

He nodded and looked towards the windows of the warehouse before softly pushing me behind him once more. 

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

“Meeya, stay there,” I hissed to her as I watched the five large, cloaked forms of the Council entering the structure. There was no time to really explain who and what they were here to do. Right now, I was more concerned with my brother’s situation as Ka’jai stood in front of me, watching the Council approach us. 

The first Yautja to materialize were the four lieutenants, Na’km, Ku’r, Ir’o, and Re’hd. All four stood in a half-circle around Ka’jai with Na’km and Re’hd standing within the closest proximity. My mandibles clicked, and I narrowed my eyes at these two. They were the Council members who believed Ka’jai was a Bad Blood. Ku’r and Ir’o were not as certain, but they had doubts about Ka’jai’s behavior. 

A huge form appeared in the middle of the four Yautja, and I bowed my head to the High Arbitrator. He wore the long, blue cloak that all Arbitrators were granted, and he held his scarred mask at his side. Ga’av had served as High Arbitrator even before I was born, and he warranted nothing but respect and honor from all Arbitrators and from our clan. It was his word that would either condemn or exonerate my brother. 

Ga’av stepped forward, and his amber eyes stared into my mask. (Arbitrator Captain Tor’ac, you have completed your task of locating Ka’jai. Well done.)

(Thank you, High Arbitrator,) I clicked, bowing my head once more. Then, I met his gaze as I brought a fist to my chest. (However, my mission isn’t complete.)

(No?) Ga’av asked, raising a heavy, spiked brow. 

(I request a trial for Ka’jai to explain the reasons behind his actions.) Keeping my eyes on the High Arbitrator, I watched as his stare moved from me to Ka’jai and back.

(So be it,) he said, nodding to both of us. (Until a time is decided, Ka’jai shall remain within the secure unit on the clan ship. So’len, secure Ka’jai on the cruiser.)

My second materialized next to Na’km and approached Ka’jai, asking, (Will you need these?) In So’len’s outstretched hand, I saw a pair of restraining guards. 

(You idiot! Of course you need them!) Re’hd snarled at him. (Restrain him now! That’s an order.)

So’len lifted his mask to stare at Re’hd before turning to look at me. I sighed, knowing it wasn’t necessary since Ka’jai had not done anything to warrant the use of the guards. However, to not insult Lieutenant Re’hd and cause more problems for my brother, I nodded to So’len, and he attached the guards to Ka’jai’s wrists. Then, So’len activated their cloaking devices, making both of them vanish from normal view. I watched my second lead my brother outside the structure, and then I turned to face the High Arbitrator.

Ga’av and the others were looking beyond me, and my mandibles clicked beneath my mask as I glanced over my shoulder. Meeya had remained silent ever since the arrival of the Council, and she had a confused look in her eyes as she met my gaze. I could hear her heart beating just slightly above a normal rate, but it wasn’t out of fear… possibly bewilderment from the presence of the five large males and also not understanding a word of what we said. 

(Tor’ac.) Ga’av’s voice interrupted my thoughts, and I looked at the High Arbitrator. (Explain.)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: Nine  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.  
> Word Count:

# Chapter 9

[Mya’s POV]

I didn’t know which was more unsettling, listening to a conversation I couldn’t understand or having all of their masks turn to stare at me. The largest one stood in the middle of the group of strange Yautja, holding his mask beside him. His face was creased with deep wrinkles and what looked like small spines lined his brow and along the sides of his face. His build managed to dwarf both Tor’ac and Ka’jai, and I knew he would tower over me. He had a stern look in his eyes that somehow reminded me of my father… and my karate master. 

My gaze moved down to the floor to prevent myself from staring, but I snapped up my head when one of them roared. The Yautja farthest to the right of the unmasked warrior stabbed a finger towards me and sliced his hand through the air. He didn’t seem to like me, and after that display, he wasn’t very high on my list either. Swallowing slowly, I blinked as Tor’ac crouched in front of me, spreading his thick arms and blocking my view of the roaring Yautja. 

When Tor’ac roared at him in return, I shielded my ears from the thunderous sound. I guessed he didn’t like this one either, and I had to smile to myself about that. As I grit my teeth, it was hard for me not to approach him, but something about the way the others behaved made me stay a short distance behind Tor’ac. 

Then, the large one, who I guessed was the leader, stepped closer to the angry Yautja and held up his hand growling. The angry one moved back, leveling his masked gaze at me before crossing his arms. Looking in front of me, I noticed the leader clicking to Tor’ac; he waved his massive hand in the air dismissively, as if telling Tor’ac to leave. Tor’ac straightened and started to look over his shoulder at me but stopped. Instead, he moved back to stand next to me, and I smiled at him, feeling more at ease with Tor’ac still close.

The leader closed the distance between himself and Tor’ac and he stared right into Tor’ac’s mask, angling his head to the side. I watched Tor’ac slowly step away from where I and the leader now stood. Almost immediately, I felt unease settle over me as my heart thumped inside my chest. Facing the leader, I saw his golden eyes meet mine with a firm, authoritative gaze. His massive body was in a relaxed stance even though I believed he could be ready to fight at any moment. The way he carried himself was incredible; he didn’t have to verbally command respect. Such a thing was presented to him without hesitance or protest just by the way he stood.

Without really thinking about it, I bowed to him as I would have to my own karate master. A sudden huff made me look up, but the leader’s face remained unmoving, leading me to think it was one of the others who made the noise. They might have been surprised by my show of respect towards their leader, but he didn’t seem at all moved one way or another. 

After I stood up straight, the leader began to slowly pace around me, starting at a short distance away. When he walked behind me, it felt as though he was getting closer as he moved. He reappeared at my right side practically within breathing range, and I swallowed slowly as he stopped in front of me. Then, I heard a metallic ‘shing’ before feeling the flat of a blade on the top of my left shoulder. 

My breath hitched softly, and I had to force my body to remain still, thinking, _‘If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it already.’_ Still, it was difficult for the beliefs of my mind and body to connect, especially with a blade so close. I blinked as I felt him move the blade towards my neck, the edge grazing along my skin before stopping on my right shoulder. 

The leader trilled and removed the blade from my shoulder, still keeping it in his grasp as he stared down at me. Crouching down, his eyes were soon level with mine, and I saw what I had seen in Tor’ac’s eyes; an unearthly being that was still somewhat like me. But there was a wisdom there that reflected his age more than the slight whiteness of his dreads. 

Mandibles opened wide as a roar bellowed from deep inside his chest up through his throat; all of the power behind that roar was aimed directly at me. My hair was forced back with the surge of air, and I cringed at the thunder in his voice. I heard my pulse thrumming inside my ears, yet the roar overpowered even that. It was an incredible, frightening sound… but I couldn’t help staring at the leader as he finished and met my gaze. He stood to his full, towering height and cocked his head to the side, looking at me almost in a curious manner.

With a nod, the leader brought back his left hand before driving it towards me. I blinked twice before realizing that was the hand clutching the blade, and my eyes looked down and saw his forearm wedged between my side and right arm. Exhaling in relief, I inhaled carefully as he pulled his arm back and sheathed the blade. 

He stared at me before shaking his head and saying in a deep, grating voice which broke the silence. “You are either a very brave or a very foolish ooman.”

As I looked up at him, I said, “Maybe a little of both.”

“Perhaps so, little ooman.” A low, rich trill vibrated the air around us as he chuckled. “I am called High Arbitrator Ga’av.”

“I’m Mya, High Arbitrator.” I bowed my head to him once more just to be sure I was showing him enough respect.

“Yes… Tor’ac has told us much about you and what you have done for him.” His eyes flicked just behind where I stood before looking at me again. “I am grateful that you aided one of my captains when he was in need of assistance.”

“It was the right thing to do, and I’m glad I could help.” I smiled, wanting to look behind me at Tor’ac. 

The High Arbitrator clicked one of his mandibles as he seemed to be thinking about something. Then, he asked, “If you were given the choice to come with us, what would you say, Ooman Meeya?”

“Wh… what?” I stammered, wondering exactly what he meant.

“It is a simple question,” the High Arbitrator answered. “Would you come with our clan if asked?”

“But… why would you ask me?” I blinked and twisted my mouth to the side. “And excuse me for saying it, but it isn’t a simple question. Would I come with you as just a visit or do you mean for the rest of my life? If it’s the latter, would I really be prepared to leave what’s been my home all of my life? And what about my ties here? There are more factors to think about than just ‘yes’ or ‘no’.”

Apparently, my response surprised the High Arbitrator as he raised one of his heavy, spiked brows. “Perhaps… Tor’ac is correct about you.”

Suddenly, the Yautja who had roared at me at the beginning of this situation approached us, snarling and shaking a fist in my direction. The High Arbitrator turned a harsh glare on the Yautja who stopped and grew silent. Without having the High Arbitrator speak to him, he moved back with the other four. 

Clearing my throat, I asked, “If you don’t mind my asking, why does he have a problem with me?”

“It regards a matter Tor’ac also spoke about with us,” High Arbitrator Ga’av answered, facing me once more. “Tor’ac believes you are a…”

I shook my head not understanding the last part of his sentence. “What was that last part?”

“I think the closest translation would be ‘one who learns and one who knows,'” he said. “It is not a title to claim lightly, and Tor’ac’s judgment inclines me to believe him. However, it is not a position that anyone outside of our race has held. To see if you really are one, there will need to be an assessment of your skills. But that will be at a later time.”

Blinking, I almost couldn’t believe what was going on. From what the High Arbitrator said, they were going to allow me to come with them. It was amazing but at the same time overwhelming. Then, there was Tor’ac’s involvement in this. Why had he asked them to bring me? 

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

When Ga’av performed the last part of Meeya’s test I thought my heart would burst through my chest. I had to keep my body rigid to not interfere with the test, but I still worried for Meeya. It was not only a test of her trust but of my trust in Ga’av to not harm her. This was the female I wanted as my mate; I’d face the Black Hunter before allowing her to be hurt during this test.

Ga’av had proven that I didn’t need to be concerned, and I nodded to the High Arbitrator once he finished and spoke to Meeya. Her questions regarding the idea of coming with us served as a reminder of what amazed me about this ooman female. The first thing she would need on the clan ship was a translator since not all Yautja and ooman words had the same meanings.

_‘Wait… she hasn’t said whether she would come,’_ the logical part of my mind stated. The thought made my chest constrict, and I wondered how she would react when I asked her to become my mate. 

(Tor’ac.) Ga’av’s voice interrupted my thoughts, and I looked at him before glancing at Meeya. The High Arbitrator nodded to her and approached me, placing a heavy hand on my shoulder. (We shall return to the clan ship. Talk to her.)

(Yes, High Arbitrator,) I clicked, but he stopped me before I could move.

(I think I see a small part of a sol’rach in her,) he trilled softly, looking back at Meeya. (But she will need to prove that she is worthy of that rank… if she chooses to come.)

Nodding to him, I said, (You will see how worthy she is, High Arbitrator. I’m certain of it.)

(You must convince her first. Safe return, Captain.)

(Safe return, High Arbitrator.) I watched Ga’av place his mask over his face, and all five members of the Council activated their cloaks. Then, the four lieutenants waited until Ga’av moved past before heading back the way they came. 

“Tor’ac?” 

I heard Meeya’s voice and turned to face her. She had a look of deep thought on her face, and I approached her, saying, “Meeya, we must talk.”

“Yes, I think so,” she said, nodding her head.

Pulling the air hose out of my mask, I removed the shield and hung it on my belt. Then, I looked at Meeya as her ooman lips pulled up in a smile, and I trilled to her. “Come with us. Come with me, Meeya. There is so much that I can show you, so much that you can learn if you join us.”

Meeya nodded and then looked down, saying, “I know all of that, Tor’ac.”

There was something about her movements that made me nervous, and I wanted to find out what it was that troubled Meeya or made her unsure. “It will be for longer than just a visit, and I know that Urth is your home… the only one you are familiar with…”

“It’s not that, Tor’ac,” she said, looking at me and holding up a small hand. “To go beyond the astronauts’ reaches, to see what is beyond this world, I’m shaking from knowing just that. To go with you would be so incredible, such a fantastic opportunity. I want to come with you… but why would you want me to come?”

“I want you as my mate.” My voice was strong, firm with no signs of hesitance, and I grasped her shoulders. I would show no weakness when it came to this. Meeya meant too much to me. “Meeya, become my mate and I will show you more than just the view of your world as I see it.”

Her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly as I heard a rush of air come from her mouth. Meeya seemed to stare into my eyes, yet she looked beyond them as though contemplating. Then, she blinked and really looked at me, asking, “Mate… as in ‘wife’?”

“What is a ‘wy-f’?” I asked, unsure about the term. 

“A wife is a woman who joins with a man as her husband, and they care for each other.” Meeya’s face colored slightly as she glanced down and back up at me. “She helps provide strength and support to him as he does for her and… she loves her man throughout any obstacle they come to.”

Clicking my mandibles, I understood most of what she said, and most of what she said was like Yautja mating bonds. “Yes, a mate is like a wy-f.”

“So it doesn’t just revolve around… sex?” she questioned, her face coloring an even darker shade. 

I trilled at her question and shook my head. “Yautja mates bond in more than physical ways. Although sex is one way to show that bond, there are other means as well, Meeya. Now that I have told you, what is your answer?”

 

[Mya’s POV]

I couldn’t believe it. Tor’ac practically asked me to marry him, and all I could do was just stand there. My throat became dry, and I swallowed several times before looking at Tor’ac as he waited for me to answer. I’d been dreading the time that he would leave, but now that I had the opportunity to go with him… it was just a shock.

Could I be a good mate for him on a Yautja ship? What would others think of him having a human for a mate? For that matter, what would they think of me just being on their ship? True, there were those that didn’t seem that put off by it like the High Arbitrator, So’len, Ka’jai… I blinked. _‘What will happen to him?’_ I wondered, and then shook my head. _‘One thing at a time, girl.’_

Thinking back to what I had told Tor’ac about trusting others, particularly groups, I knew I’d be taking a big chance in going with him. It’d been awhile since I had taken a risk, but helping Tor’ac had been a risk, hadn’t it? I looked at him, really looked at Tor’ac as not just my friend but as a male. He was tall, powerful, yet at the same time he was stimulating to the mind and gentle, too. And he wanted me.

I stepped closer to him, leaning my head against his chest, saying, “Yes, I’ll come with you. And I just hope I can be a good mate.”

“I have no doubts about that, Meeya,” Tor’ac trilled, his arms pinning me to his body. I felt totally possessed, and it wasn’t half bad. 

Moving back to look at him, I asked, “So, what now?”

“We take Ka’jai’s cruiser to the clan ship where I will formally claim you as my mate,” he answered, guiding me towards the area where Ka’jai had gone earlier when it was just the two of us. 

“Wait!” I stopped, and he blinked, looking at me. “I need to tell Leah and Cassie about this. Boy, Cassie’s gonna freak when she hears this.”

“Of course, Meeya.” He nodded. “I would not have you leave without seeing them.”

When we rounded the huge stack of boxes, there was indeed a small vessel of some sort. It was shaped like a large dome with an overhang on either side; I guessed those served as balance for the ship. How Ka’jai had gotten it inside, I’d no idea, but I hoped Tor’ac knew what to do. He placed his hand against a panel along the left side of the ship, and a ramp lowered down to the concrete floor. 

Walking up the ramp, Tor’ac led me to a sitting area just behind the cockpit where he’d be sitting. His clawed fingers jumped along the panel, and he said, “You had better sit, Meeya. Getting out of here will be a little awkward.”

“Right.” I moved to a chair behind and to the left of the pilot’s seat where Tor’ac now sat. There were what looked like two safety belts behind my shoulders, and I slid my arms through and searched for the clasp. Then, I felt the ship rising off the ground, and I looked out the windows in the front of the ship to see the main entrance doors. “Tor’ac…?”

“We can make it,” he said, trilling as the ship slowly moved forward through the huge doors. 

I was surprised when the ship managed to fit just barely through the entrance, and I released a sigh. “Sheesh, that was a tight squeeze.”

“Did you doubt me, Meeya?”

“Not you, Tor’ac, just the warehouse doors,” I said, smiling at him as he trilled again.

As the ship moved through the night sky, I wondered just how I would explain all of this to my roommates.

~~~

“You’re what?!” Cassie’s voice rang throughout the apartment, and I pressed a finger against one ear. “You mean to tell us that not only did you leave without telling either of us, but you’re now leaving the planet?! What is wrong with this picture?”

“Cassie, calm down and lower your voice,” I said, thumping her arm with my middle finger. “And nothing’s wrong with the picture. I’m going to be with Tor’ac.”

“That’s another thing, does he even understand the concept of marriage and all its binding qualities?” she asked, throwing a glare at Tor’ac before returning it to me. 

“Yes, he does.” I gave her a glare of my own for doubting Tor’ac, though it was Cassie and that was just her way of worrying. “I want to be with him, Cassandra. Please, just be happy for me.”

“We are happy for you, Mya,” Leah stated, giving me a grin. “Do what you feel is right to you, no matter what others say, right?”

“Well… I… I just worry, you know,” Cassie murmured.

“I know, Cassie,” I said, squeezing her into a hug before pulling Leah into our mix. “I’m just gonna miss you girls so much. You’re family, you know that.”

“Of course.” Leah gasped out, and I released her and Cassie. Then, she looked at Tor’ac and gave him a stern stare. “You take good care of her.”

Snorting, Tor’ac said, “I will. Do not doubt that, Leeyah.”

“All right,” she told him, holding out her hand. 

Tor’ac cocked his head to the side before taking it, allowing Leah to barely raise it up and down. Then, he grasped her shoulder, shaking it gently even though Leah had to grab my arm not to fall over. 

“You won’t let anyone hurt her, not even yourself?” Cassie asked as she looked at Tor’ac, which surprised me.

He faced her and remained silent for a moment. Then, he placed his fist against his chest, stating, “Upon my honor, I will slay anyone who dares to do so.”

Cassie blinked, and I hid a smile at her reaction. “O… kay, I guess that’ll do.”

“Meeya, it is time.” Tor’ac moved near the balcony door and gazed back at me. 

“Right,” I said, hugging both of my roommates one more time. 

Mentally, I checked off all that I’d needed to do for the last time here on Earth. I had packed a bag of some clothes even though Tor’ac insisted I wouldn’t need any on the clan ship, but I was not one to go unprepared. There were also some of my most prized books in the bag, too, including my favorite- Adams’ “Watership Down”. I wouldn’t go anywhere without that book.

I’d also written a brief letter for my uncle, telling him that I’d be disappearing for a while and asking him to take care of Leah and Cassie. There was no way to explain that I was going to be leaving the planet with my alien mate. This was just easier for all involved. “You have the letter to mail for me tomorrow, right, Leah?”

“Yeah, don’t worry,” she told me as I walked out onto the balcony with Tor’ac. “Now, get going to the final frontier or something like that.”

“Love you both!” I called to them as Tor’ac picked me up, and I clasped my arms around his neck. While he climbed, I kept my eyes on my roommates standing on the balcony until we reached the roof of the building. My eyes became misty even before Tor’ac carried me onto the cloaked ship, hovering above the apartment building. 

The hatch closed behind us, and Tor’ac looked at me. “Meeya?”

Sniffling slightly, I wiped my eyes and rubbed my nose before smiling at him. “Let’s go, Tor’ac.”

“As my mate asks,” he trilled.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: Ten  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.  
> Word Count: 4003

# Chapter 10

[Tor’ac’s POV]

“Oh… wow!” Meeya cried.

My mandibles rose as Meeya stood near my seat, staring out of the large window panel in front of us. It was a welcome sight to see as I guided the cruiser into the upper atmosphere of the backwater planet. Watching her eyes widen, a deep rumble came from my chest. My Meeya was seeing her world as I had seen it so many times before.

“What do you think, Meeya?” I asked, chuckling. 

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, turning towards me with her lips curled up. “Tor’ac, it’s so much better than the photos in the book.”

Trilling, I reached a hand out to grasp hers. “You will see many worlds just as you see yours now.”

“I’m sure you’ve been to a lot of them.” Meeya returned her gaze to the view beyond the window.

Tilting my head to the side, I raised a brow, saying, “I have seen dozens, perhaps hundreds, but there are many more beyond those.”

“I’ll bet it’d take several hundred lifetimes to see them all,” Meeya stated, then faced me and squeezed my hand. “But we can try to see as many as possible in one.”

“When the high arbitrator makes you a sol’rach, you’ll be given access to all we know about those worlds.”

Meeya blinked at me, asking, “How do you know I’ll be made… um… one of those, Tor’ac?”

“You already are one, Meeya. It just needs to be made official with an assessment,” I assured her. When she opened her mouth to protest, I raised a hand. “Trust in your mate’s words, Meeya.”

Meeya shook her head and stood behind me, her hands lightly touching my shoulders. Her touch was gentle, and I inhaled slowly to savor her scent being so near to me. Smiling to myself, I would make sure to have that scent surround me at all times. 

“So where’s the clan ship?” she asked, leaning over my shoulder and facing me.

“Beyond the largest planet in this solar system,” I replied, tapping my claws along the console to adjust our velocity and coordinates to the clan ship. “It’s a safe distance from any of your planet’s detectors. The cruisers can be hidden without using as much energy as it would take a clan ship.”

“Beyond Jupiter… wow,” she said. Unexpectedly, Meeya placed a hand against her head and quickly crouched down to sit on the floor panels. 

Standing and moving to her, I asked, “Meeya, what’s wrong? Are you ill?”

“No… I’m alright, Tor’ac. Still just a little overwhelmed by all this, that’s all,” she said, curling her lips into a smile. 

I clicked my mandibles and placed a gentle hand against her head, finding nothing unusual. Her temperature was normal by ooman standards and her pulse was steady. Still, Meeya’s action made me think of what I would need before she could come onto the clan ship. Although I’d adjusted the air content of the cruiser to accommodate the different needs of her species, she would need a filter to breathe on the clan ship. She would also need a translator; already my throat was getting sore from speaking with her for so long in the Ooman language. 

Bending down, I scooped Meeya into my arms and walked into the small sleeping chamber, saying, “Rest, Meeya. We still have some hours until we arrive.”

She tried to speak but instead her mouth opened into a yawn, and she blinked hard several times. Twisting her mouth to the side, Meeya said, “Alright. Apparently, my body agrees with you, Tor’ac.” 

“I will wake you when we arrive.” Setting her on the bed, I reached down to the foot and pulled the blanket over her. Then, Meeya grasped my hand, and I gave her a questioning trill, tilting my head to the side. She brought my hand up, rubbing her cheek against the back of it and smiling at me.

“You’re so warm.”

Sighing, I closed my eyes as my focus briefly shifted to the swelling beneath my cloth. If she only knew why I was so warm… I trilled to myself and looked at Meeya. Readily cupping her face, I trailed my fingers down her cheek to the tip of her chin, running a finger over her lips. A deep rattle left my throat when she shivered at that touch. 

“Sleep, Meeya,” I told her, watching as she nodded and closed her eyes. Part of me wanted to stay until she did sleep, but the other more logical part reminded me once more of what I needed for her on the ship. I’d need to send a message to So’len about obtaining the filter and translator for when we arrived. 

Moving back to the control panel, I sat down and opened a channel to the clan ship. A holographic image of the Yautja in the communications room appeared and his voice requested my name and rank. 

(Arbitrator Captain Tor’ac,) I growled to him, tapping a claw against the armrest.

He nodded and asked, (Where shall I direct you, Captain?)

(Arbitrator So’len, my second, should be there on the ship along with the high arbitrator’s party. I need to speak to him,) I answered. Pausing for a moment, I added, (If he claims to be ‘busy’, inform him that his head will be on the sparring floor at our next match if he doesn’t respond.)

The communications Yautja raised a brow but did as I asked. I raised a hand to cover my smirk as I knew my second well enough to know that after returning to the ship, he would be after one of two things. The first was either a match in the sparring ring, and the second was a female. Shaking my head, I thought, _‘He won’t settle down with a mate of his own, but he will chase after other unmated females on the ship.’_

(At least it’s not with mated females,) I mumbled to myself.

(What’s that, Tor’ac?) So’len’s voice interrupted my thoughts, and I looked to find his image in place of the communications Yautja.

I waved my hand dismissively, saying, (It’s nothing, So’len. I was thinking of what Meeya would need when we reach the ship, and it would assist us greatly if you could obtain them by the time we arrive.)

(So, you didn’t scare her off, huh, Tor’ac?) So’len joked, trilling in laughter. 

I growled back. (At least I don’t scare every female on the clan ship, So’len.)

(Point taken, Tor’ac, I apologize. And I’m glad she decided to become your mate.) My second bowed his head and raised his mandibles. 

(Thank you, So’len. Back to the point,) I said.

So’len nodded, lifting a curious mandible. (She’ll need a translator, of course.)

(Yes, but more important is her air filter,) I stated. (She won’t be able to tolerate our air for a long period of time, so that’s a valued necessity.)

(Of course. I’ll have both available when you dock. Anything more?)

Looking off to the side, I tapped a claw against my belt, feeling something small and metal there. I glanced down and saw the hair ornament still tucked away, and I removed it, bringing it up for So’len to see. (Could you possibly replicate this item?)

(What is it?) So’len asked, leaning closer. 

(A hair ornament… Meeya’s hair ornament,) I replied. Setting it on the console, I did a quick scan of the item and sent it to So’len. (Everyone on the ship knows you’re the best when it comes to configuring and constructing small items, So’len. You think you’re up to this challenge?)

(Ha! This is no challenge, Tor’ac,) So’len trilled, smirking. (I’ll have several made in different metals.)

(Make sure the shape is exactly like the original.)

He raised a brow at that comment, looking off to the side at what I assumed was the image of the ornament. (Looks almost like a… large claw. I’ll make some new ones, though they will most likely be ready after you’ve arrived and settled down.)

(That should do, So’len, thank you,) I told him, raising my mandibles in approval. (We should be there within a few hours.)

(I will see you on your arrival. Safe return, Captain,) So’len said, bringing his fist to his chest before closing the channel.

 

[Mya’s POV]

Stretching out on the enormous bed, I smiled even though my attempts to sleep were failing. Who could sleep at a time like this? I’d just seen Earth exactly as the astronauts had, a radiant blue and white orb suspended in the blackness of space… and now we were heading to Jupiter or rather the other side of it. And then off into space once we were on Tor’ac’s clan ship. 

That made me pause for a moment, my mouth twisting to the side in thought. _‘So many other Yautja will be on this new ship… but I’ll have Tor’ac with me, so there’s no need to be really concerned,’_ I mused. Still, it paid to be cautious, and I doubted every being on the ship would appreciate my presence. There would be others like that one law keeper who roared at me in the warehouse. 

Inhaling a deep breath, I released it slowly, thinking, _‘I’ll just take things one step at a time and deal with whatever happens when it occurs.’_

Then, my thoughts drifted to Ka’jai, and I wondered if Tor’ac had any other family on the clan ship. I understood they called it a ‘clan’ ship, but that didn’t necessarily mean it was composed solely of members of Tor’ac and Ka’jai’s family. It would be interesting to meet more of his family… then I cringed. What if they didn’t like me? What if they ordered Tor’ac to leave me? 

“Calm down, you’re being paranoid and that’s going beyond cautious,” I told myself, taking another slow breath. 

Thudding footsteps approached the room and Tor’ac entered through the sliding doors, asking, “Meeya? Why are you still awake?”

“Sorry, Tor’ac… I guess I’m a bit nervous,” I admitted, sitting up in the bed. I was cracking my knuckles absentmindedly, so I clasped my hands together to stop. “Makes me unable to really sleep.”

“What troubles you, my mate?” He sat down on the bed, facing me, his head cocked to the side in what I took as concern.

Biting my lower lip, I looked down at my hands, saying, “It’s not being your mate, Tor’ac… well, not the idea at least. I guess I’m just worried about how others will react on the clan ship… to me as your mate.” 

Tor’ac slowly inhaled, and my eyes flicked up to look at him as his gaze moved to the side. “Meeya… I will not deny that there will be those who… will not want you there. I cannot say how most will see you… but I can tell you this.” He turned towards me, leaning closer, and placed a warm hand along my jaw. “You are my mate, and any who have issue with that will answer to me.”

Seeing his determined stare, I blinked and then a smile spread across my face. I reached out and wrapped my arms about his torso, feeling his arms pull me to him. “That’s some relief, Tor’ac, but I’ll try not to be too much of a problem.”

“You won’t, Meeya,” Tor’ac rumbled as he released me long enough to place one thick leg over my body, swinging the other over to settle beside me. Instantly, my heart thudded in my chest, and warmth flushed my cheeks as I looked at him. Trilling, he propped his head against an elbow. “Be calm, Meeya. Until I have claimed you as my mate in front of our clan, I will show you no dishonor in mating now.”

“Hah… th-that’s not what I was worried about at all.” A shaky laugh left my throat as I settled down, turning to face him. “I don’t know where your mind is, Tor’ac.”

“Would you like to know?” He raised a brow, curling his mandibles up.

My eyes widened just a bit before I blinked, saying, “Sure, why not?”

“I’m wondering… why my mate has not already fallen asleep when she needs rest.”

Laughing, I stretched my arms and yawned, settling back against the soft, fur-covered pillow. “Just one more inner worry, Tor’ac…”

“Yes?” 

“Do you have any other family in the clan… besides Ka’jai I mean?”

Holding up two fingers, he rumbled, “Two sisters, one between Ka’jai and I and one younger than me. You’ll meet La’rn, the youngest, on the clan ship. Mi’dea is a huntress and prefers to… not remain in one place for very long.”

“Oh,” I said, a little surprised he didn’t mention their parents. “What about your father and mother?”

“Both have… passed on.” Tor’ac sighed heavily, and I saw what looked like a twinge of grief pass over his face. “My father was a great warrior and hunter. He died honorably while on a training hunt with a group of young bloods.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, my hand covering his between us. 

Shaking his head, Tor’ac stared at me with renewed intensity. “Don’t be. As I said, it was an honorable death, and I am proud of him. My mother’s death…” His hand clenched beneath my own, and his eyes narrowed into a fierce glare. If looks could kill, this one would make a dozen others collapse to the floor.

“It’s okay,” I told him, my fingers folding around his fist, and Tor’ac blinked, returning his gaze to me. The tension I felt from him made me want to drop the subject. “It’s okay if you can’t talk about it right now, Tor’ac.”

“Thank you, Meeya. I’m not sure I could tell you… without wanting to hit something.”

Nodding, I could relate to his feelings. When my own parents were killed, I had been always on edge, lashing out at anyone within range. It had taken a long time to get over those feelings of anger, and even then, I wasn’t sure I really got over them. I just managed to maintain control over my emotions, not allowing my temper to get the better of me. 

“Meeya.” Tor’ac’s voice brought my attention back to him. “You have to sleep, and I’ll make certain of it if I must.”

I smiled at him, laughing silently. “If you insist, I guess I just have to sleep.” Slipping further under the blanket, I turned onto my stomach still facing Tor’ac and closed my eyes. A low, rumbling purr resonated from him, and I exhaled in exhaustion, sinking into slumber.

~~~

“Meeya.” Someone shook my shoulder, and my eyes squinted open to see Tor’ac lying where he had been when I fell asleep. “We’re approaching the clan ship.”

“What?” I yawned and stretched my arms up in the air, rubbing my eyes. “Already?”

Tor’ac nodded and sat up, crawling over my body and stroking a hand along my cheek, his claws grazing my skin. “We should prepare the cruiser for docking. Come, Meeya.”

“Alright, I’m up, I’m up,” I yawned out, pulling the blanket away and immediately yanking it back over me. It was ice-cold without the blanket, and I shivered to warm my body. Apparently, they weren’t kidding when they said deep space was as cold as night especially when compared to the warm cocoon of our bed. Wrapping the blanket around me, I stood and looked at Tor’ac as he cocked his head to the side. “I’m ready, let’s go.”

Curling an arm around my back, Tor’ac trilled and shook his head, leading me back to the cockpit of the ship. I took my seat and watched him sit down, then glanced out the windows. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. Outside the glass panes, an immense structure loomed ahead of us; I couldn’t really describe it since any words I could have thought of would not have done this ship justice. “That’s… the clan ship?”

“Our home,” Tor’ac confirmed, glancing at me over his shoulder. “It houses several hundred families, and ours will be the newest.”

A blush enveloped my face as I thought about the life I would be starting with Tor’ac as my husband figure. My heart raced and I stared at him as he directed the ship towards a long, narrow opening in the massive clan ship. _‘Our family… wait. Will I even be able to… have children despite the differences in our races?’_ This line of questioning brought on a whole new bout of nerves, but I squelched them, still staring at Tor’ac. Worrying about it wouldn’t do any good, and all I could do was place my trust in him.

“Meeya, after we finish docking, I need you to remain on the cruiser until I return.”

“Why? Is something wrong?” Standing, my grip tightened on the blanket wrapped around my shoulders, nervous about his leaving. 

Turning around to face me, Tor’ac rumbled, “No, but I need to get some things from So’len before you can enter the clan ship. Be calm, Meeya, no harm will come to you.”

I nodded and released a breath, sitting back in my seat. Rolling my shoulders, I tried to relieve some of the tension stored there, watching as the cruiser entered the clan ship. There wasn’t much to see outside of the windows, at least not at first. As the lights flashed on inside the clan ship, I saw the cavern that was the docking area. And as I leaned closer to the window next to me, I saw many beings moving around. 

There was a small cluster gathered in the area just in front of the nose of our cruiser, and thought I recognized the hulking figure of the High Arbitrator among them. Slowly breathing in, I thought, _‘Okay… here we go.’_

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

Shutting off the cruiser’s jets, I stood and moved to Meeya, wrapping an arm about her shoulders. “I will return quickly.”

“Okay,” she said, curling her lips up even though I could hear the slight strain in her voice. 

I strode to the opening hatch and made a quick descent immediately heading where So’len stood. (Captain, the items you requested,) he clicked, holding out the small filter and metal translator ring. 

(Thank you, So’len, we’ll be off the cruiser soon,) I told him, giving a quick bow to Ga’av where he stood behind So’len along with Lieutenants Ir’o, Ku’r and Na’km. Re’hd was not among them, and I raised a curious brow, striding back up into the cruiser. “Meeya?”

“Yes?” she asked, standing from her seat where I’d left her. 

Holding up the filter, it was no larger than the very tip of my claw, and I pointed to her nasal passages. “This will allow you to breathe while on the clan ship. Our air is… not appropriate for an ooman’s body.”

“Okay, so that needs to go… up my nose?” Meeya eyed the filter, and I nodded. She worked her lower lip between her flat teeth, tilting her head back and shutting her eyes. 

“It should not hurt that much, Meeya,” I assured her, purring deeply. “You might feel a little discomfort at first, but it should pass.”

She opened one eye and looked at me, nodding. “Go ahead, Tor’ac.”

As gently as I could, my thumb pressed the filter deep into her nasal passage until it could not even be seen. Meeya’s eyes scrunched up and she released a sneeze, quickly turning her head to the side to avoid doing so on me. “How does it feel?”

“Weird,” she said, wrinkling her nose and then sniffing a few times. Reaching up a hand, she gently squeezed along the bridge of her nose. “Very weird… but I think I can handle it.”

“Good,” I told her, my mandibles curling up. Then, I held up the thick, metal translator ring, pointing at her neck. “Your translator. It will register any words you say and form them into the appropriate Yautja words and do the same for your language with any Yautja speaking to you.”

Raising a brow, Meeya’s mouth pulled up on one side as she said, “Gee, Tor’ac, I didn’t think you were into bondage.”

“What?” I hadn’t quite understood the last word in her sentence, cocking my head to the side in confusion.

“Never mind, I was just joking,” she laughed, her hand reaching up to grasp my free one. “Alright, go ahead with the translator. But after this, is there anything else?”

“You’ll need to see our healer, but that will come later, Meeya.”

She nodded and, gripping the blanket around her in one hand, she gathered her long hair into the other hand, lifting it high on her head. Her neck was slender and as pale as the rest of her body, and I held up the hinged ring then stopped. Meeya looked at me, her eyes meeting mine with a questioning stare. “Something wrong, Tor’ac?”

“No… I just need to tell you that the ring will grow warm to the touch,” I said, then holding up the inside of the ring to show her the tiny, nearly invisible holes lining the entire circle. “Then, it will feel as though tiny needles are pricking your skin. But it will only last a little time.”

“Okay,” she told me, her eyes moving from the ring to me. “Let’s get it done.”

Nodding, I placed the ring around her neck, closing it and watching my mate’s reactions. I had only known one other Yautja who had needed to make use of the translator ring, and he assured me it didn’t harm the sentient being he had placed it on. My only concern was that the sentient being wasn’t an ooman, but I knew that other clans who had oomans living among them probably made use of the rings, too. Still, having some word from them would have reassured me more. 

Meeya winced as the sinews of muscles in her neck clenched, and I grasped her arm gently, asking, “Meeya?”

Then, she relaxed, exhaling a long breath and looking at me, her hand touching the ring. “Okay… that was… even weird… than the filter. How do… we know… it’s work…?”

As I suspected, it was already tapping into her vocal patterns and translating them into Yautja to where I could understand most of her words in Yautja even though I already understood the Ooman language as well. The real test would be for other Yautja who knew little to none of the Ooman language as well as for Meeya to understand what Yautja words meant. There was a little static when she spoke, but that would go away the more she talked; the translator needed to adjust to the speech of each being who wore it. Clearing my throat, I clicked to her in Yautja, “It should be working now. Can you understand me?”

Her eyes flared wide as Meeya stared at me, nodding her head as her mouth curled up, spreading into a wide smile. “Wow… I hear the words… but your mouth’s not moving like it was before.”

“Because the translator’s working, Meeya,” I chuckled, relieved to finally not have to communicate solely in her language. Reaching up a hand, I massaged my throat and coughed to clear it again. _‘Too long, I’ve been speaking Ooman too long… but at least now we can speak our own languages without worry.’_

“Tor’ac, are you okay?” she asked, placing a hand on my arm.“You’re not getting a sore throat are you?”

“Speaking your tongue for as long as I did must have irritated it some, but it will be fine now that I’m using my throat muscles in a normal way for Yautja,” I assured her, lifting my upper mandibles in a grin. “Now, let’s go so I can show you the clan ship.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: Eleven  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.

# Chapter 11

[Mya’s POV]

Leaving the smaller cruiser behind, as well as my blanket, I tried to keep pace with Tor’ac’s long stride as we moved to where the small gathering of Yautja stood. The high arbitrator was indeed among them as well as three of the other four that had been with him in the warehouse. Tor’ac stopped and lowered his head to the high arbitrator, and I mimicked him, glancing up at the massive being again.

“Welcome, Meeya,” High Arbitrator Ga’av stated, his mandibles curling up just slightly before he looked at Tor’ac. “I trust you will prepare her before formally claiming her as your mate, Tor’ac.”

“Yes, High Arbitrator, we’re going to see La’rn now,” Tor’ac nodded, curling his arm around me. “Come, Meeya.”

“Wait, what about my things, Tor’ac?” I asked, looking over my shoulder at the cruiser, and then blinked. So’len jogged towards us, holding my small bag by the handles, and he cocked his head to the side when I held out my hand for it. “Thank you, So’len, I can take it.”

Pulling the bag behind him, So’len looked over me at Tor’ac before chirring, “You won’t need it where you’re going, Meeya. It’d be easier for me to take it to Tor’ac’s rooms.”

“But…” I didn’t get to finish as So’len strode swiftly down a corridor. “Tor’ac?”

“Since we’re going to see La’rn, I thought it best if So’len took your belongings ahead of us,” he purred, rubbing a warm hand along my arm.

Smiling at Tor’ac, I looked at the high arbitrator once more and bowed, saying, “Thank you for the welcome, High Arbitrator.”

High Arbitrator Ga’av nodded to me. “I shall see both of you at late repast.”

“He means ‘dinner’, right?” I whispered to Tor’ac as we continued on our trek through the hangar into a hallway to the right of the one So’len took.

Chuckling, Tor’ac nodded. “On the clan ship, it is rather… confusing to call eating times morning, mid-day and evening meals, so it is easier calling it early, mid and late repast.”

“I can understand that, especially judging by the blackness outside the windows.” I smiled, glancing outside one of the glass panes at the stars. My eyes stopped on Jupiter, the massive planet being the only thing shielding the clan ship from Earth. It was still baffling to think it was what helped in shielding the clan ship from any detectors from Earth.

“Meeya?” Tor’ac asked as he stood beside me.

I looked back at him with another small smile. “Sorry, Tor’ac, I think I’m still stunned at being in space.”

His mandibles rose in a ‘smile’ as we continued walking. “You will get used to it, though I will admit that seeing some of the planets that I’ve seen before amazes me still. Urth is one of them and will remain a… planet of great astonishment to me.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“It is such a young planet… at least when compared with others I’ve seen, yet it has flourished at a rather rapid pace. Its inhabitants have managed to survive many different shifts in both climate and environment with a tenacity that is admirable. No wonder it is a planet we choose to visit as we do.”

Smiling, I took his hand in mine, knowing that one of the main reasons to visit Earth was to hunt. At the same time, I knew them to be honorable in the hunt, taking only the strongest and usually very few, and it was something that humans of today could learn. Sighing softly, I asked, “Tell me about your sister. La’rn’s the youngest right?”

“La’rn is one of the most amicable Yautja you will ever meet, and I don’t say that simply because she is my sister.” Tor’ac’s mandibles rose more as he squeezed my hand. “She has this amazing ability to make others feel… much lighter than they had before.”

“She sounds like a real sweetheart,” I said, looking down the corridor. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Swee-tart?” Tor’ac asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Basically she has a sweet heart… a, uh, caring heart.”

“That she does, Meeya, that she does. And I know she’ll like you.”

“Oh? What makes you think that?”

His eyes hooded to where I thought his mandibles were now raised in a grin. “Call it hunter’s intuition.”

“If you say so, Tor’ac,” I said, eying him carefully. Judging by the varied reactions of the Yautja I had… seen, not really met, it was odd to think that many would like me. So hearing that at least one could possibly like me right off the bat was a comforting thought.

“Ah, here we are,” Tor’ac said, stopping next to a set of doors. There was a console to the right of the doors, and he pressed in one of the keys. A low sound hummed in my ears as it slowly grew in decibel until the doors hissed open. _‘An elevator,’_ I thought. _‘Makes sense with a ship this huge.’_

Stepping into the elevator next to Tor’ac, I watched as he pressed in another key to the right of the doors after they had closed, and the car hummed to life once more as we rose in the shaft. The symbols lit up and then dimmed as we passed floors on our way up, and I asked, “Is La’rn on the same level as your rooms, Tor’ac?”

“No, she is several levels below Arbitrator levels, and her level might be rather busy since there are more Yautja living there,” Tor’ac replied, looking at me and rubbing my arm. “She actually has one of the largest quarters on that level because her trade requires much room.”

“Oh? What’s her trade?” I asked, tilting my head to the side curiously.

“A necessary, yet also ornate one, especially when it comes to La’rn’s work,” he told me, raising his mandibles and giving me what I could have sworn was an impish look. “You will see soon, Meeya.”

The elevator gradually slowed down until it came to a stop at the level we needed, and Tor’ac moved through the sliding doors with me following right after him. He curled his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him, and I pressed against his warm side as we walked. Several Yautja were walking towards us, and all of them stopped and either looked directly at me or opened their mandibles. I wasn’t sure whether it was in shock or agitation and I didn’t really have time to ponder it as we kept moving.

Looking up at Tor’ac, I whispered, “Were they… okay?”

“Those three we just passed?” he asked, turning his head to face me but also glancing out of the corner of his eye back the way we had come. When I nodded, Tor’ac clicked, “They were probably surprised to see an ooman aboard the clan ship. You are the only one who has ever been on this ship.”

“I see… so they weren’t… irritated by me? Like that one officer?”

Shaking his head, Tor’ac lifted his mandibles in a ‘smile’ while directing me down one corridor to the right. “Not likely, at least they didn’t look irritated, just shocked. Meeya, with most Yautja, it won’t take long to notice the differences between ‘shock’ and ‘irritation.’ You have a… an ability to notice behaviors in others as you did with me, and I do not believe my mannerisms are… how do oomans say it? ‘Worn on my shoulder guard’?”

I giggled softly at his use of a human idiom, or at least his take on it, and I nodded. “Yours are a bit more subtle, but that’s what happens when you live with someone.”

“Indeed, my Meeya,” he purred deeply, leaning close and gently rubbing his mandibles against my hair. I felt my cheeks flush a little, and I blinked as he stopped in front of a large door. “Here we are, La’rn’s quarters.”

A breath left my lips as I saw the ornate carvings within the door in front of us. Delicate colored stones were set deep within the long curves carved inside the metal door. Turning my head to the side as I looked at the door, I saw the image of a Yautja sitting at some sort of table. What I found strange was that there were lines along the table and also connecting the table to a beam above it. As Tor’ac pressed his hand against a panel to the side of the door, I wondered what the image could represent.

Slowly, the door slid open and Tor’ac led me inside a large room filled with what looked like bolts of cloth. Each bolt was organized by color type, a pile of blue hues next to the door, a pile of red hues near another door along the left side of the room, and still more piles were placed about the room. Looking at Tor’ac, I asked, “She’s a seamstress?”

“I prefer to be called an artist or a designer,” a female voice came from behind a rather tall pile of purple hued bolts. Then, a form appeared from behind the bolts as she rose to her full height, which looked almost as tall if not a little taller than Tor’ac. Her skin was a lighter shade of green than Tor’ac’s, but the darker mottled spots along her arms and legs were a pattern similar to his. She did not have a tall crest like Tor’ac or Ka’jai, so I thought perhaps the crest was a masculine trait. Her locks were bound behind her head which she tilted curiously at me before she chirred happily when her eyes moved to Tor’ac. “Brother! Oh, thank Paya you’re back!”

Tor’ac lifted his mandibles in a smile, and his arm released me long enough to hug the approaching female. “La’rn, you would think I had been gone for longer than a month’s time with the way you’re behaving.”

“Well, can you blame me?” she asked, poking his side and making Tor’ac jump and move away. That action took me by surprise, and I decided to store that piece of information away for later. “When my elder brother is sent on a mission after my eldest brother how do you expect me to behave? But since you’ve returned, does that mean…?”

With a nod, Tor’ac placed a hand on her shoulder, saying, “I did find Ka’jai, and he is… safe.”

“In the holding cells, right?” La’rn asked softly, her voice sounding strained as she sighed heavily.

“You know it’s the safest place for him right now.” Tor’ac shook her shoulder, then looked at me with a determined stare. “Besides, we’ll make sure that he won’t stay there long.”

La’rn blinked and then finally looked at me once more. I couldn’t blame her for almost ignoring me since she was so concerned for her brothers. If I had been in her situation, I can’t say that I would pay much attention to others around me either. She raised her mandibles a bit, angling her head towards me. “And who might you be?”

“I… I’m ‘Mya’…” It was almost difficult to talk since the two had completely switched the topic of conversation to me, and I felt warmth bloom on my cheeks as I looked at Tor’ac. He gave me a heated gaze before stepping closer and pulling me against his side, rubbing his mandibles against my hair. “Tor’ac…”

“Forgive me, Meeya, when your face colors like that…” He cleared his throat, then looked at La’rn as she gave us what looked like a knowing look, and her mandibles rose even more. “La’rn, Meeya is my mate.”

“Praise to Paya, you’ve finally chosen a mate!” she chirred, clapping her hands and sweeping me up into a tight hug, and I blinked in shock. “Welcome to our family, Meeya. Please forgive my elation but if there was one thing that could describe Tor’ac, it would be particular. And trust me, he is rather particular when it comes to females.”

“La’rn,” Tor’ac growled a warning, but she waved a hand dismissively, making him sigh and shake his head. “We came so that I could introduce you to her but also to ask if you would please give Meeya proper clothing for late repast.”

Blinking, I looked over at Tor’ac, asking, “Is something wrong with my clothes?”

La’rn answered before Tor’ac had the chance as she looked over me with a critical eye. “No, this will not do, not for you to be formally named Tor’ac’s mate, Meeya. You need something that will really make you stand out… well, besides the simple fact of you being ooman.”

My mouth twisted to the side, concerned about the fact of standing out even more than I already did, then thinking, _‘Well, if I’m in their clothing, I might not stand out as much… maybe.’_ Feeling a tug on my arm, I focused once more on La’rn as she dragged me past each pile of colored bolts. “Are you sure you have time… La’rn?”

“Of course! I have all the time I need for my brother’s mate!” La’rn chirred happily as she looked over each pile as though trying to find just the right color that would call out to her. “Hmmm, no, no… no, I don’t like that red for this occasion. Tor’ac, what do you know about your mate?”

“La’rn, what are you…?” I was silenced when she held up a hand and raised her mandibles in a smile, her green eyes bright with what I thought was curiosity as they moved to Tor’ac.

Tilting his head to the side, Tor’ac rumbled, “Meeya is very much a sol’rach, La’rn… always thinking, reading, learning. She also has a kind and strong heart… a warrior when the need arises and a loyal friend at all other times. But she always has a hunter’s fire in her eyes.”

I felt my cheeks burning with warmth as he said this, describing all the traits he really liked about me, and I bit my lower lip in slight embarrassment. Turning to look at one of the piles, I heard La’rn purr happily, “I know just the thing. Let’s go! Besides we must have a talk you and I, female to female.”

Swallowing carefully, I nodded as the female gently tugged me behind a pair of dark curtains to what I thought was a dressing room for some ‘girl talk’.

~~~

“So you decided to leave your life on Urth behind, Meeya?” La’rn asked as she lifted my arms, wrapping a long sash around my waist. “All to be with Tor’ac… how very loyal and brave. You must really care about my brother.”

Holding my arms outstretched, I smiled and nodded. “He is a very… remarkable male. I hope I don’t cause him trouble though.”

La’rn trilled softly as I felt her fingers tying off the sash behind my back, making a few adjustments to fit to my measurements. “You won’t, Meeya. I can already tell that you are very intelligent and compassionate towards others, and once other Yautja see that, they can hold no fault with you.”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked, turning to look over my shoulder at La’rn kneeling down to fix the length of the dress. “I am human… and I wouldn’t think that’s a common thing to allow here.”

“I know of other clan ships that have males with ooman females as their mates, and even females from other species. You aren’t the first and I doubt you’ll be the last ooman brought aboard a Yautja clan ship,” she answered without even looking up at me. Then, with a clip of what looked like a pair of scissors, La’rn stood up and moved in front of me, giving me a final examination. “Yes, that is much better. A female should really wear a dress during formal claiming.”

When she gestured towards a mirror along the wall to the right, I stood in front of it and blinked in surprise at the person staring back at me. Looking in the mirror, I saw the dress was fitted exactly to my body’s measurements. With the short amount of time that La’rn had spent on that, I didn’t think she would get it just right. It was a shade of blue that reminded me of the deep end of the ocean with a hint of green mixed in with the coloring. The skirt almost reached down to the floor, and when I looked down, I could just see my toes peeking out from beneath the cloth. She had also given me a pair of sandals to wear even though my feet were still rather chilled from the cold.

As I looked back up, I was amazed that the “bra” La’rn had given me was not uncomfortable despite it being only a three-inch black strap that hooked in the back. With the dress being sleeveless, it made sense to have such a “bra” even if it didn’t look like much of one. Turning around to look at the sides and back, I stared in amazement at La’rn’s fast work; within the amount of time we had our ‘girl talk’, she had measured, created and fitted a new dress for me.

“What do you think?” La’rn trilled, her eyes showing the eager anticipation of hearing my opinion of her work.

“It’s beautiful… and it fits like a gem, too,” I stated, smiling at her. “How did you do it? You worked so fast, it didn’t seem like it took you much time, but the dress looks wonderful.”

“Comes with the territory of my work,” she answered, clapping her hands together and nodding in what I took to be thanks. “One never knows when a female or male might need a dress or cloak or other piece of clothing within a short amount of time. I’ve spent years honing my skills, which is why this entire unit is for me.”

“I can definitely see why. And you deserve it and more.” Smiling at her, I did a little twirl that made the dress fan out before coming to rest around my legs. “Do you think Tor’ac will like it?”

Trilling and chirring with laughter, La’rn gave me a knowing look that confirmed he would, but she said, “Why don’t we go find out?”

  


[Tor’ac’s POV]

Tapping a claw against the wall I leaned against, I began to wonder what in Paya’s name they were talking about for so long. I knew La’rn would want to talk with Meeya the moment they were introduced but there was time enough for talking later. Right now, I wanted to present Meeya before the whole of the clan ship and claim her as mine. I inhaled slowly, closing my eyes as my mind nudged me about something that I was slightly concerned. _‘You have to think of her as new… you don’t want to frighten her when you claim her. Go at her pace, always at her pace…’_

It was advice that my father had told both Ka’jai and me before the Ceremony of Hunters, a time of rejoicing and free-mating. During this ceremony, unmated males and females were allowed the action of mating without necessarily claiming them as a mate. It was a way to increase the clan’s populace and also a celebration to a successful hunt and future hunts.

Shaking my head, I annoyingly had to agree that La’rn was correct when she told Meeya I was… ‘particular’ when it came to others. In all the times I had participated in free-mating, not once had I ever found a female I’d wanted to claim as my mate. No female had made my body burn with heated desire to mate, not until I had met Meeya. She was my true mate, and I knew this for certain. It had just taken the pursuit of my brother for me to find her.

_‘Ka’jai…’_ I thought, recalling my brother’s face as he was led away in restraints by So’len. Knowing he was being kept as a prisoner in the holding cells was enough to partially cool my heated blood. He had saved the life of my mate, and if he were not my brother that alone would warrant my assistance. I promised myself that I would visit Ka’jai tomorrow if only to encourage him. _‘We’ll find a way to clear your name, Brother. With Meeya’s help, I’m sure of it.’_

I heard the curtain being pulled back and turned to watch La’rn come out of the dressing area, and then I stopped and blinked. As my sister moved, I saw the vision of my mate slowly walking out of the dressing area, her hands clasped in front of her. Moving away from the wall, I strode towards her. I’d never seen her wear anything beyond the “jeens” of her people, but, by the gods, she looked astonishing in a dress.

“Meeya,” I clicked, feeling my hot blood rushing through my limbs as I stared at her.

She swallowed slowly and looked down at the floor, perhaps trying to hide the color that flushed along her face. I shook my head and stood before Meeya, gently bringing my knuckle under her chin to coax her to look up at me. Her eyes had a hint of gold mixed in with the green, and I rumbled low in my chest, leaning down to brush my mandibles against her brow.

Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I brushed my claws through her hair, then remembered what I had asked So’len to do. The original clip was still in my belt, and I held her shoulders, pushing Meeya back a little to fully look at her once more. “By Paya, you look… amazing. Soft and feminine yet with a sense of power as well.”

“Tor’ac, I don’t know what you mean by that,” she said, looking away. “There’s no way I could be as powerful as you…”

“Perhaps not… but I know you have skill and the ability to use what tools you have, Meeya,” I chirred, pulling out the clip. “Do you remember this?”

Meeya’s eyes flicked towards me and then grew wide as she saw her clip in my hand. Then, she looked up at me. “Where did you find that, Tor’ac?”

“On the night that I… came to you,” I answered hesitantly, knowing she didn’t want to even think about that night. Handing her the clip, I proudly rumbled, “Keep this or the others like it with you at all times, my Meeya. Although I didn’t see you using it, I know you do know how to protect yourself with it. Until I can show you more techniques to use, make sure to have one or two of them with you.”

“Tor’ac, you’re frightening her!” La’rn hissed at me, her lower mandibles spreading in a frown as she no doubt heard Meeya’s heart pounding hard and loud just as I did.

Narrowing my gaze on my sister, I growled, “I am only trying to prepare Meeya so that she will not be caught off-guard here. Life on the clan ship is different from life on Urth, and I will not have my mate ignorant of that fact.”

“But…”

“No, La’rn, he’s right,” Meeya said, holding up a hand. She took the clip and, twisting her long hair up, placed it near the top of her head, draping her hair over it and nearly hiding the makeshift weapon. Then, she grasped my hand and raised her lips in a smile. “Thank you, Tor’ac, I know you’re worried about me, and I’d rather be somewhat prepared then not know what to expect at all.”

Chirring happily, I lifted her hand up and nuzzled the back of her palm with my mandibles. “I’ll see to it that you’re prepared in other ways too, Meeya. Right now, though, we must get to late repast, so that I might show off my mate and claim her before the clan.” Then, I pulled her against me with a rumbling purr, staring into her eyes as her heart beat fast again though for an entirely different reason.

“I’ll join you both,” La’rn clicked, moving next to us and placing a hand on Meeya’s shoulder and then mine. “Besides, I’ll want to make sure that my new sister is welcomed properly. And I also need to introduce you to my mate, Duk’ar.”

“Let’s be off then,” I purred, wrapping my arm around Meeya’s shoulders and directing her to the door with La’rn following just behind us.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: MuseofScrolls  
> Chapter: Twelve  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.

# Chapter 12

[Mya’s POV]

“I still can’t believe that you finally chose a mate, Brother!” La’rn chirred as she walked beside Tor’ac and me down the corridor. She clapped her hands and almost did what I thought was a skip, but that didn’t seem very… Yautja-like so I kept that image to myself. 

Tor’ac growled a bit, giving her a weird look over my head. “I realize that I am rather particular when it comes to females, La’rn, but must you be so surprised? You are causing Meeya discomfort.”

La’rn blinked and looked down at me as I looked between the two Yautja towering over me. “Am I really? Please forgive me, Meeya… it was not my intent to cause discomfort. I am merely expressing my joy, but I shall cease if it upsets you.”

“Oh, no, it’s alright, La’rn!” I said, holding up my hands in surrender. “I’m… happy to be a part of your family.”

“Are you certain it is alright?” she asked, tilting her head and giving me a quizzical look. “Your heart rate is slightly faster than is normal for a human… unless that is my mistake.”

Blinking, I looked up at her, hearing my heart thumping inside my ears at a pace that wasn’t entirely normal. “I… I guess I’m just nervous about dinner tonight… in front of all the others of the clan ship.” I couldn’t lie to them about being anxious and not knowing what would happen during the claiming ceremony was enough to make me want to crack all the joints in my hands.

“Ah, then perhaps we can alleviate some of that anxiety, Meeya,” Tor’ac trilled, drawing me even closer against his side. This didn’t really ease my heart instead making it beat even faster. He seemed to notice this change and rumbled deeper in his chest. “Forgive me, Meeya, I seem to have made it worse.”

“It’s alright, Tor’ac, it’s only natural that you do that to your mate,” La’rn trilled, raising her mandibles in a smile. “But the claiming ceremony will be rather short, Meeya, and will be before we take late repast. So we shall be able to eat once the ceremony is finished.”

Swallowing hard, I looked at La’rn, asking, “Do these… ceremonies happen at all mealtimes?”

“Not always, but since it is a time when most of us are gathered, it is better to introduce new mates then rather than at another time,” La’rn replied, brushing one of her locks over her shoulder. “It also prevents us from having to make many individual introductions, though I think we might have that in your case, Meeya, simply because you are ooman and mated to one of our best arbitrator captains.”

“Hush, La’rn,” Tor’ac hissed, then rubbed his mandibles against my hair. “The ceremony consists of two parts. First, I shall introduce you to the clan as my mate and a new member of our clan. Second, I will need to give you a clan mark.”

“‘Clan mark’?” I asked, looking up at Tor’ac, and we stopped walking. He pulled back the piece of his armor that covered the left side of his chest, revealing a long mark swooping to the right side with two smaller marks curving down, one on top of the other. 

“Normally, I would have it on my armor as well, but as it was new armor and I was in a hurry to find Ka’jai, I had left it unattended until now,” Tor’ac chirred, clenching his mandibles together in what I thought might be awkwardness.

Reaching up, I gently brushed my fingers over the mark, feeling his heated skin beneath my fingertips, and I heard him chirr deeply. I felt blush creep up my neck and I removed my hand to prevent the warmth from spreading, even though I’m sure they could probably tell my body heat had changed. My eyes stayed on the floor until I felt Tor’ac’s fingers under my chin, caressing down my neck and stopping just at the bare skin above the top of my dress. I swallowed thickly.

“Your mark will be in the same place as mine, Meeya, about here,” he growled low, brushing the pad of his thumb over the area of skin. “I will be as gentle as possible when I make the mark. It’s one of the reasons we try to keep at least one of our claws sharp. The sharper the claw, the easier it is to cut.”

My eyes widened as I took in his words, and I realized that Tor’ac would be making it as a sign of his devotion to me. It had to be him that made the mark, and not just with a weapon of his. His claws were always at his side, the only weapons that were always on his body. How much more personal could a weapon be? “So… that’s why the dress had to be strapless, huh, La’rn?”

“It will be easier for him to access the area for the mark, Meeya, while also allowing you modesty,” La’rn trilled, pulling back the strap of her dress to show her mark and also nearly flashing us. “This way you will just have to stand while Tor’ac gives you his mark.”

Nodding my head, I smiled at Tor’ac, wrapping my arm around his and leaning against his side. “Okay… I trust you, Tor’ac, so let’s go.”

“Meeya…” he growled, pulling me close and rubbing his mandibles against my brow. As I looked up at him, Tor’ac’s eyes were a darker green, but it wasn’t from anger as I’d seen them before. Slowly, he lowered his face close to mine, and I blinked as the top two mandibles reached out to brush over my lips. It made my mouth tingle, and I felt my cheeks heat up as I licked my lips.

“Do you intend to consummate your mating in the corridor?” La’rn growled, reminding me that we were in a public place. 

Blinking and looking at her, I saw La’rn’s closed fists on her hips, almost in a motherly disciplinary manner. I nearly expected her to wag her finger at us in scolding, but instead Tor’ac exhaled a long breath beside me. “Of course not, La’rn, but we should go.” He wrapped a large arm around my shoulders, and I circled my arm around his back as he guided me down the hallway. 

La’rn trilled and moved to walk beside me, and I looked at her in time to watch her wink at me, her mandibles raised in a smile. 

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

The refectory was full, as it usually was at late repast, with many different families sitting around the tables. Some families on the clan ship extended as far as six generations, a remarkable feat since most blooded warriors moved on to another clan ship to find a mate. Casualties in battle or on the hunt were also normal, so it was rather astonishing to see so many elder warriors and hunters on one ship. 

I spied Ga’av in the back area eating with Ash’ka, his mate of nearly one hundred years, as well as Lieutenants I’ro and Ku’r and their mates. He glanced towards the entrance where we stood, giving a simple nod to us before returning to his meal. Ash’ka looked up too, and she blinked before nodding to me though her eyes seemed to move to my side, no doubt looking at Meeya. 

As I glanced around the room, it appeared as though many more eyes were looking our way, most wide in disbelief and a few narrowed in what I took as suspicion. I pulled Meeya closer, knowing this might happen as most of our clan knew very few Yautja with close ooman experience. It was doubtful that more than a few dozen even spoke with an ooman outside of luring one into a hunting trap. 

A buzz of low whispering and hissing started on one end of the room, growing louder as we walked further inside. I glanced down at Meeya as she kept her eyes forward, though I saw them flick around the room before she pressed closer to my side. Growling, my eyes narrowed into a glare as the blood boiled in my veins at the behavior of my own clan. 

Finally, I stopped in the center of the walkway, pulling Meeya behind me a little, and my mandibles flew open, releasing a deafening roar. The hisses and whispers slowly died down as nearly every eye was upon us, and I stared out among them, almost daring one of them to speak now. I felt a hand on my side and gradually looked away from the crowd and down at Meeya as she met my gaze. 

“It’s okay,” she whispered just enough to be heard by me. Then, she smiled and I rumbled softly to her, rubbing my hand against her arm and shoulder. 

Facing my clan once more, I inhaled slowly to prepare myself for this moment. “I am Tor’ac, son of Warrior Ran’th and arbitrator captain of the Ghe’rekt-kyt clan ship. I have found my mate, and I wish for all of you to welcome her to the clan. This is Meeya, a female possessing a hunter’s fire, and I claim her as my mate.”

“No ooman could have a hunter’s fire!” 

“You’ve gone mad while away on mission, Tor’ac!” 

“How can anyone stand that… thing’s presence?” 

“It’s not a part of our clan! It’s prey!” 

The outcries came in an onslaught, and my vision slowly began to bleed red with each new verbal attack toward Meeya. Moving my arm from around her, I pushed her further behind me, glaring and clenching my fists. 

“Silence!” I roared, hearing another voice booming in the room with the same word. My eyes darted around the large area coming to rest on Ga’av as he stood at his table, glowering over the quieting crowd. Inhaling deeply, I nodded to him as he crossed his arms, waiting to hear what I had to say in response to their statements. “You might think she isn’t worthy of becoming part of our clan… but in my eyes she is more admirable and honorable than some Yautja.”

Turning to her, I whispered, “Meeya, turn to me where they can watch you become part of our clan.”

She nodded and faced me, her left side towards the watching crowd. I saw the slight tremble of her lips, and heard the soft thud of her heartbeat slow, as she seemed to will it to quiet. My eyes gazed within hers as a calm trill came from my throat. Reaching out a hand to brush over her cheek, I moved my palm down her neck, stopping at the place just above the edge of her dress. 

Meeting her eyes, I murmured, “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Meeya said, her voice quivering a little as she kept her eyes on me. 

With a gentle touch, I brought my pointing claw down her skin, pressing deeper until it pricked and drew red blood to the surface. I slowly curved my claw down into the long mark before moving to prick her twice more to create the smaller marks. Reaching to La’rn behind me, I grasped the small cloth she held out to me and dabbed at the blood welling from Meeya’s mark. Then, La’rn handed me a small container which I tapped two fingers inside, coating them in a dark powder. 

Spreading the powder over the wounds, I pressed the cloth against Meeya’s chest once more, holding it tightly to allow the powder time to penetrate into the mark. This was to create a more permanent display for the clan mark, allowing it to stand out more prominently on the skin. I pulled the cloth away, peering at the darkened mark before removing the cloth entirely since the bleeding had stopped.

Ga’av remained standing and I heard him growl, “Will you uphold the honor of the Ghe’rekt-kyt clan, Meeya? Will you do all within your power to honor Tor’ac as your mate?”

Facing him, Meeya straightened her back, looking out among the clan members who still scrutinized her with their suspicious stares. In a pitch I’d never heard her speak in, she stated, “High Arbitrator, I promise to honor both my mate and my clan. Tor’ac’s life is my life, and I will do everything to protect his name and the name of his family… our family.”

I turned fully towards her, a little surprised at her last statement but welling with pride in my choice of mate. Meeya had already honored me on her planet, and I knew she would do so ten-fold within our clan. Looking out at the crowd, I saw a few blinking in astonishment at her words, and I knew she would win over most of them with time. And those few that she didn’t… would answer to me if any harm came to her. 

My eyes went back to Ga’av as he stood contemplating her words. His eyes still rested heavily on her, but after a moment, he nodded and pounded his chest twice, clicking, “I welcome you to the Ghe’rekt-kyt clan, Meeya of Urth.” With that said he took his seat next to Ash’ka and began eating from his plate. 

Most in the crowd took that as a signal to return to their eating, and I embraced Meeya fully in my arms, feeling her arms wrap about my waist. Rubbing my mandibles against her brow, I purred, “You make me so proud, Meeya. I am deeply honored by your words, my mate.”

I felt her face grow warm against my chest and she looked up at me with a small smile on her mouth. “I mean all of it, Tor’ac. And trust me, I didn’t think they’d greet me with open arms.”

“They will see how skilled you are soon enough, Meeya. Your hunter’s fire will see to that,” I clicked softly before eying the placement of food along the wall tables. “Shall we eat?”

“I would hope we would, Tor’ac, I’m starving and Duk’ar’s been slaving away over the fires and ovens,” La’rn growled nearly as loud as her stomach, interrupting us. “Besides, I need to welcome my new sister properly, and to do so you must release her.”

Giving La’rn a wry look over my shoulder, I did pull away from Meeya, watching my sister scoop my mate up into a tight hug. I chuckled, “Be careful, La’rn, I wouldn’t want to have to take Meeya to the healer too soon.”

“Oh, be quiet, Tor’ac, she’ll be fine,” La’rn trilled, flaring her top mandibles at me. “Meeya, feel free to ask me for more clothes, I’ve already got some ideas in mind for you.”

“La’rn, you don’t have to do that,” Meeya managed to speak as La’rn hugged her before setting my mate down. 

“I know I don’t, but I want to!” I could already see La’rn’s excitement at creating something new for my Meeya. My sister did love a challenge, and I knew she would wear down Meeya’s defenses when it came to her clothing styles. “I want my sister to wear the best clothing found on our clan ship.”

Meeya looked down at her dress, smiling back up at La’rn. “Well, I guess I couldn’t ask for a better artist.”

“That’s the spirit!” La’rn clapped her hands. 

“I doubt even your talent will be able to clothe _that_ very well, La’rn,” a female voice clicked behind us. 

Growling, I turned to glare at the one female I had hoped to never see again. She stood nearly as tall as La’rn, her locks bound and lying on either side of her neck. Her yellow eyes flicked from Meeya to me as her mandibles curled up in a sneer. Squaring my shoulders and crossing my arms, I glared at her. “Per’ra… you’re not welcome here. Leave now.”

“Is that any way to talk with the mate of your superior, Tor’ac?” Per’ra trilled, fingering the edges of her locks. “I’m sure Na’km wouldn’t like to hear how you’re treating me.”

“The lieutenant would probably prefer you to be by his side rather than here, so why not go to him, Per’ra?” La’rn growled, clenching her fists tightly. I noticed the action out of the corner of my eyes, and it was rare for my sister to be riled so much as to give even that much voice to her thoughts. La’rn’s patience with others was something even I admired, but right now I knew she was as irritated as I was. 

Per’ra lifted her chin to the side, her eyes resting on Meeya briefly before meeting my glare with a raised brow. “Did you complete your mission, Captain?”

“That is none of your concern, now pardon us, it is mealtime.” Wrapping an arm around Meeya’s shoulders, we strode away with La’rn following close behind. I noticed Meeya look over her shoulder, but I squeezed her arm lightly, drawing her attention back to me. “Don’t worry about that now, Meeya. It is a time for us to celebrate and be glad.”

“But… who is she? You and La’rn looked so upset,” Meeya voiced her concern, making my chest rumble deeply. Stopping, I leaned down to place my brow against hers. “Tor’ac?”

“I will explain later, but I don’t want to spoil this moment or our appetites,” I trilled, placing a hand along her cheek. “Trust me, Meeya…”

“Okay,” she slowly answered even though I knew she still had questions. Already I saw the hunter’s fire spark within her eyes, and I couldn’t help brushing my mandibles over her lips. When I leaned back, Meeya had smiled up at me, saying, “I really like that. It makes my mouth tingle.”

“I’ll make sure to do it often, my mate,” I chuckled, pulling her close as we made our way to the tables laden with steaming platters of food. 

 

[Mya’s POV]

Tor’ac removed his arm from around me and picked up two plates, moving to the table ahead of me with La’rn right beside me. I watched him point to the different types of meat, clicking, “Typically the lighter the color of meat, the spicier the flavor. This one is my personal favorite.” He picked up several large chunks from a platter of crimson meat, setting them on his plate. It almost looked like the raw steaks I gave him while on Earth. 

“It is cooked, right?” I asked, looking a little skeptical about the meat’s slight sheen. 

“Yes, my Duk’ar always cooks his dishes at a nice hot temperature,” La’rn assured me, taking several pieces for herself. “What he likes to do is brush on a lightly flavored glaze to add contrast to the actual meat’s spices.”

Tilting my head to look over the meat, I picked up a piece of the same meat they had each taken before moving on to look at some of the darker pieces. “I’ll give it a try, just to see if I like it, too. What about these? How spicy are they?” I pointed to a platter of deep brownish-colored meat and then motioned to the one next to it which held a pile of meat that I thought was the color of cherry wood. 

“Hmmm… I think you might like this one,” Tor’ac said, pointing to the cherry wood-colored meat. “The glaze on it has a sweeter flavor that matches well with the slight spice.”

I reached out and took a few pieces as we made our way down what I called the “buffet line” even though the food looked much better than what one would find in a “buffet.” Grinning to myself, I thought I’d share this reminder of Earth with Tor’ac later. My grin softened to a smile as I watched and listened to Tor’ac explain more about the various types of fruits and greens on the table. I picked up a few that sounded and looked tasty, making sure to choose some that he had on his plate. Seeing Tor’ac in a calmer state was a relief considering all the resistance we’d had from the clan. 

Twisting my mouth to the side, I wondered just what lay on the road ahead of us. The clan was obviously hesitant to accept me, but what really worried me were their reactions against Tor’ac. I hoped that his role as an arbitrator wouldn’t be called into question, then thought, _‘But then again, that’s the High Arbitrator’s call, isn’t it? If Ga’av should doubt Tor’ac, then there would be cause for worry. Still… I wonder.’_

“Meeya, come and let’s sit over here,” La’rn’s chirring interrupted my thoughts as Tor’ac and I followed her to a round table that appeared to be bolted to the floor. The seats surrounding it also looked like they were attached, and I watched La’rn slide into one seat through an opening between two seats. _‘Geez… it’s like a lunch table at the university cafeteria.’_

I slipped in between two seats and Tor’ac moved inside, sliding right up against me. A warm blush crept along my cheeks, and I leaned against his side for a moment before he wrapped his arm around me. Picking up one of the darker colored meats, I bit into it, slowly chewing and enjoying the slight sweet and spicy taste. The sweetness was just enough to temper the overall spice, which I also thought was delicious. I soon devoured the rest of that meat eagerly.

Watching the others eating their meat, I looked at the lighter-colored meat, picking it up and raising it to my mouth. Slowly, I bit into the meat, having to pull back to tear off a bite, and immediately heat filled my mouth. I coughed and forced myself to swallow the meat, patting my chest and panting as my tongue felt like it was on fire. 

Tor’ac must have noticed my trouble as he set a glass of what I hoped was water in front of my hand. I grabbed the glass and took a long gulp of the sweetest water that had ever flowed from a spring. The cool liquid soothed my tongue and eased the heat in my mouth as I inhaled and released a long breath. “Now that… was spicy.”

“Are you alright, Meeya?” La’rn asked, giving me a concerned look and then motioning to one of the Yautja moving about with a large jug. 

“It’s okay, La’rn, I think I’m good for now… but I don’t think I can finish this piece,” I answered, holding up the meat and smiling sheepishly. 

With a low purr, Tor’ac leaned close to my fingers as his mandibles gingerly plucked the meat from my fingers, chewing briefly before swallowing. “Perhaps you can try it again once you have adjusted, Meeya.” Then, he rumbled deeply and brushed his closed mandibles over my hand, making me blush redly again. 

The approaching Yautja with the water jug pulled my attention from Tor’ac and I smiled as he poured more water into our glasses, saying, “Thank you.” His coloring was almost a deep mahogany brown with lighter patches along the undersides of his arms stretching up to his neck and down his chest. 

He raised a spiked brow and then nodded to me before looking at La’rn and purring deeply, setting a basket of what looked like flat bread on the table. Then, I watched with widened eyes as this male slid right next to La’rn, pulling her against him. 

She trilled and leaned into him, a feat I thought was a little funny since she was nearly half a head taller than him. “Meeya, this is Duk’ar, my mate. My hunter’s heart, this is Meeya, Tor’ac’s mate.”

“I had heard something about an ooman in here and needed to come and see for myself,” Duk’ar chirred, settling his deep amber eyes on me. He tilted his head a little, looking down at my plate and then back up at my face, still slightly flushed from the heat of the meat and also Tor’ac’s touch. “You tried the kehr meat, didn’t you?”

“The red meat?” I asked, glancing down at my plate. “It was a bit too much for me, but I liked the… darker meat.”

Duk’ar opened his mandibles and inhaled, then looked at the glaze that remained on my plate. “Ah, yes, the juuk-on meat. How did it taste to you?”

“Mmmm, it was delicious with a sweet taste that reminded me a bit of… a familiar glaze from Earth. I thought it complimented the slight spice of the meat. In fact,” I stopped and motioned to the bread basket. “Would you pass the basket please?”

The male quirked a brow but handed me the basket, and I took out a piece of the bread. Taking a bite, I smiled at the light texture as it almost melted in my mouth. “Perfect.” I slid part of the bread over the glaze that remained on my plate and ate, still smiling.

“You seem to be enjoying the food quite well,” Duk’ar chirred, rubbing his hand over La’rn’s arm and shoulder. “It’s rare to see a Yautja actually wipe the sauce or glaze up.”

“Well, when it’s a good sauce, you don’t waste it,” I said, eating the last bit of bread and reaching for another piece. “And as you can see, I’m not a Yautja.”

Barking in laughter, Duk’ar slapped the table with his free hand, and then raised his mandibles as he looked at Tor’ac. “I like her, Tor’ac. She knows how to appreciate good cooking.”

“That is my mate,” Tor’ac purred, rubbing his mandibles against my cheek. He seemed to watch me as I ate another piece of the flat bread, lifting his mandibles in a smile. “Do you like the na-an, Meeya?”

“‘Naan’?” I asked, blinking up at him as I looked at the bread. “It’s really good, but, Duk’ar, have you ever made a sweet one before? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Nodding, Duk’ar pointed at a nearby table with several Yautja eating from three different baskets of na-an. “They favor the sweet na-an more than the savory, but I can bring some for you now.”

“Oh, it’s okay, please don’t trouble yourself,” I said, holding up my hands. “Besides, La’rn probably wants to have your company.”

“Truthfully, I must return to the kitchen right now to make sure my assistants are preparing the next batch of na-an… correctly,” Duk’ar chuckled. “It’s not that I don’t trust them, they just need to remember not to sample more than what it takes for a simple taste check.” With that, he rubbed his mandibles against La’rn’s before sliding out of the seat and heading back towards the kitchen. 

La’rn sighed, leaning her chin on her hand as she watched Duk’ar leave. She had an almost dreamy look in her eyes, and I smiled when she looked over at Tor’ac and me. Blinking, she cleared her throat, taking a piece of na-an and chewing it slowly. “I think I’m going to stay a little bit longer… see if Duk’ar needs any help in the kitchen.”

I heard Tor’ac’s deep chuckle as he pulled me against his side, trilling, “We should retire to our chambers, Meeya.”

Blushing warmly at the tone of his voice, I swallowed thickly, saying, “O-Okay, Tor’ac. Where should we put the plates?”

“Leave them on the table at least this one night,” he replied, rubbing his mandibles against my hair, his voice a low whisper. “It is your first night on the clan ship, and I want to have you to myself soon.”

My eyes widened and I nodded as my cheeks burned with heat, slowly standing up to slide out of the bench and making our way outside the refectory.

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

The lift doors opened to the arbitrator officers’ level, and I guided Meeya outside and into the corridor. She seemed in awe of the walls as she turned her head to look at the carvings decorating either side. Raising my mandibles, I pointed up to the ceiling, showing her another array of images carved into the metal above us. 

“Wow… they’re all so beautiful,” she said, craning her neck back to see with only my arm keeping her steady enough to not lose her balance. “My God, it must have taken whoever carved them many years to do.”

“Even with the tools at our disposal, I believe it did take several years to complete just this level,” I said, nodding my head. “We have many different trades within the clan, Meeya, as you’ve already seen. Anyone may earn honor within their trade given the right amount of time or the right task.”

Meeya looked up once more, saying, “I’m sure they earned great honor after completing this job.”

Trilling to her, I led my mate to the doors of our chambers, stopping to let her admire the images carved within the heavy metal. It depicted a scene of a hunter stabbing his spear into one of the Kainde Amedha, one of the strongest and fiercest of prey. These creatures were reserved for blooding hunts when a Young Blood either becomes a warrior or meets death in the face of the hunt. She reached out and ran her fingers over the image of the hunter, then looked back at me. 

“Is this you, Tor’ac?”

I chuckled deep in my chest, shaking my head. “No, but I am honored that you would think I could be captured in such a manner. Normally, this is a means of honoring hunters of years long past, preserving their story as well as their memory within all of us.”

“What’s the name of this hunter?” Meeya asked, smiling back at me. 

“I believe his name was Khan’Ur…” I answered, tilting my head to remember his story. “As I recall, he was remembered not only as a powerful hunter but as a creator of one of the first archives for our clan.”

Her eyes widened as she faced me fully. “The archives are your libraries, right?”

Nodding, I couldn’t help trilling loudly at the look on Meeya’s face and the fire lighting within her eyes. “You will see ours tomorrow, my Meeya, I promise. Right now though, we have the night.” I pressed my palm against the panel next to the doors, waiting until the scanner finished reading my signal before the doors slid open. 

“Oh, my…” Meeya gasped as we walked into our chambers, and I had to trill at her reaction. She moved forward, and I moved my arm from her back, letting her really take in the atmosphere of our home. “My God… Tor’ac… it’s amazing!”

“This is just my trophy room, Meeya,” I chirred in pride, puffing out my chest and really looking around the largest part of our living quarters. Skulls and weapons of various size and origin hung upon the walls, and seeing the empty hooks reminded me of my currently worn armor. I slowly undid the clasps of my shoulder guards and chest plate, lifting and setting them on the hooks along with my mask. Then, I stood back and watched my mate walk closer to inspect some of my trophies, the sight sending a shiver through my spine. “What do you think, Meeya?”

Meeya looked over her shoulder with nearly all of her teeth showing, her eyes bright as she took in all of it. “It’s incredible. I’ve never seen such skulls before, and the weapons are… astounding. Some resemble weaponry I’ve seen before and others… I can’t even begin to think of how to use them. Tor’ac, it’s a veritable archive itself!”

Rumbling deep in my chest, I swiftly approached Meeya, wrapping my arms around and pulling her smaller form against me. “By Paya, it’s that fire that makes me want you now!” I growled to her, leaning down and rubbing my mandibles through her hair and across her pale brow. Still, I heard the voice in my mind hissing and ordering me to go slow and not frighten her. 

For a moment, I thought I had done just that as I held Meeya within my close embrace. Then, I felt her arms circle my waist, her hands moving over my back as she nuzzled against my neck. Her face felt warm and as I pulled back, I saw her skin had colored partially just along her cheeks. Already, I heard her heart racing, and I growled at myself that I had made her nervous. “My Meeya… come, let me show you the bathing chamber.”

“Bathing chamber?” she asked, blinking at me in what I took as surprise. “How large is it, Tor’ac?”

“You will see, my mate,” I answered, guiding her to the set of doors on the left side of the trophy room. 

 

[Mya’s POV]

‘Bathing chamber’ was definitely the correct term for the enormous room lined with smooth stone tiles in various shades of blue. The floor tiles were arranged in a sort of circular swirl that drew a body towards one of two directions. Placed dead center in the chamber was a bathtub the size of a small swimming pool, and already steam curled just above the water’s surface. The secondary circling tiles framed what look like a cylinder. 

Curious, I approached the cylinder and laid a hand against it, looking back at Tor’ac. “What’s this thing?”

“This is a bathing column,” Tor’ac trilled, reaching around me to grasp the handle and pull open the door. Pointing inside to thousands of tiny holes in the ceiling, he clicked, “Water flows from there down here, and then gathers and flows back into the purification system down there.” He motioned towards the floor which had three drains spaced evenly through the column. 

“So it’s like a giant shower,” I said, smiling and gazing up at him as he nodded. Pressing a hand on the inside wall, I felt heat radiating through the metal and I asked, “Does it always feel this warm in here? It feels nice.”

Tor’ac circled his arm around my shoulders, drawing my back against his vibrating chest. I closed my eyes when he rubbed his mandibles against my hair, growling softly, “Would you like to use it now, Meeya?” I felt his hand against the back of my head, pulling out the clip holding my hair and sending it tumbling down my back.

Swallowing thickly, I looked over my shoulder and met his gaze, seeing his green eyes had darkened once more, which sent a shiver running through my spine. When I couldn’t quite find my words, I nodded and Tor’ac rubbed his heated palm over my bare arm before releasing me. I felt his fingers working at the tie of my sash, slowly loosening the binding and my dress until I saw the sash fall to the floor. 

My hands came up to the edge of the fabric wrapped around me, pulling it free and slowly moving the cloth from around my body. I swallowed again as my cheeks flushed, knowing that Tor’ac was watching me undress, and for a moment I hesitated, doubt rearing its head. Hearing his low rumble just behind me, I froze as his hands grasped mine and pulled my dress away, baring my backside completely.

The underclothes that La’rn had given me were all that remained of my clothing, yet even they didn’t cover much. It felt as though Tor’ac could see everything all at once even if my back was facing him, and I wondered what he was thinking now. Slowly turning around, I saw his eyes meet mine and he reached out to brush his palm over my cheek and down my neck, stopping at my shoulder. His hand felt warmer than before, or maybe I was just cold from being nearly naked. 

Tor’ac slid his hand over my back, lightly caressing my skin before reaching the clasp of the thin strap that served as my bra. He pushed against my back, pressing my front against his chest, and I just knew he could feel the pounding of my heart inside my breast. Placing his free hand along my cheek, Tor’ac angled my face up and slowly leaned down to gently brush his mandibles over my lips. I splayed my palms along the hard planes of his chest, pressing my mouth to his quivering mandibles in a kiss.

I felt his fingers against the clasp of the strap, and it gave way and the two ends fell along my sides, his warm palm smoothing down my bare back. I pressed to his chest, his caress urging me forward as his dreads fell around my shoulders, my left hand sliding up his chest and neck, gently smoothing over his jaw. Tor’ac slowly opened his mandibles, spreading them before reaching out to brush my cheeks with deft fangs, and I leaned in closer to lightly kiss his hard mouth. It was different since I was really kissing his closed teeth, but I would expect no part of Tor’ac to be soft, not even his mouth. 

When he moved back just a bit, Tor’ac caught my falling bra before dropping it to the side with my dress and sash. I practically felt the warmth radiating from my skin as my body flushed, but I resisted the urge to cover my nakedness in front of my mate. Instead, I stepped towards him, pressing my body to his hard form and sliding my hands along his arms and shoulders. To my surprise, Tor’ac stepped back though his hands grasped mine tightly as he knelt down in front of me. It was still astonishing that the top of his head was level with my chest, and I released an awed breath.

After Tor’ac released my hands, he rested his palms on my hips, hooking his thumbs through the waist of my underwear and pulling them down. Blinking, I placed my hands on his shoulders to steady myself, raising one foot and then the other, watching the last bit of my clothing join the pile. He circled his arms around my legs, palms cupping my rump and making me gasp in surprise as he pulled me towards him. “Tor’ac!”

He looked up at me, and I saw his eyes were such a dark green… so filled with warm desire that I couldn’t help the breathless sigh that escaped my lips. Squeezing my butt, Tor’ac bent down to where his face was level with the juncture of my legs. His mandibles splayed and I heard him take an audible deep breath as his mouth hovered just inches from me. 

A deep rumble vibrated his entire body as Tor’ac groaned in his throat, growling out, “Meeya… my Meeya…” Then, he pressed his mouth against me, making my hands grip his shoulders to steady my slightly unstable body. He inhaled once more, making both of us moan as his hot breath made my insides quiver, and I arched my hips into him while almost losing my balance. Tor’ac’s firm grip on me was the only thing that kept me from falling back. 

I wasn’t sure if this was part of Yautja mating, but to have him… scenting me like this was so very intimate. One of my hands slid around and behind his head, gripping his dreads and gently coaxing my mate forward. “God, Tor’ac…” I moaned out as he inhaled and exhaled long breaths, switching from lightly squeezing to roughly groping my rump. 

My eyes widened when I felt something long and thin slide along my nether lips, the tip slowly prodding between the folds. I twitched a little at the unfamiliar feeling, but Tor’ac held fast around my body, his mandibles lightly brushing over my sensitive mound. Holding onto his dreads still, I closed my eyes as what I guessed was my mate’s tongue curled and brushed along my inner walls. It was so thin yet moved in such a deft manner, lapping up the wetness I felt dripping below. 

Swallowing hard, I opened my eyes to look down as Tor’ac still worked at the juncture of my legs, feeling his tongue dart inside and out before he pulled back. He looked up at me with a hooded gaze, gently setting me on wobbly legs and then standing next to me. 

“Go inside,” he chirred heavily, nodding to the column as he brushed a large hand over my back and side. “I’ll join you shortly.”

“Okay,” I breathed out, slowly making my way to the open door, briefly glancing back at him. “Don’t be too long.”

Tor’ac purred deep in his throat, slowly looking over my body before meeting my gaze with a heated stare. Chills shot through my limbs as I inhaled deeply.

Stepping inside the huge shower, I looked around for the switch that would start the water running. A panel along the wall near the door looked promising, and I pressed my hand against it. Water rained down on me from the ceiling, and I smiled at the feel of it running through my hair.

The temperature was a little cooler than I thought it would be, but it was still nice to wash again. Looking around, I wasn’t sure which bottles to use to wash with, so I began splashing more water over my skin, rubbing over my wet arms and torso. Water sluiced through my hair, and I pushed it back away from my face, massaging my hair. 

A pair of clawed hands gripped my hips, pulling me back against a muscular form, and I felt his rumbling chest along my back. Looking up, I smiled at Tor’ac as he chirred to me, rubbing his mandibles against my wet hair. 

“That didn’t take long,” I said, my body flushing at being within such close contact with him. 

“Mmm, I didn’t want to keep you waiting, Meeya,” he answered, stroking along my hips and circling his arms around my waist. His hands smoothed over my stomach, sending flutters through me and raising goose bumps on my skin. “Did you need assistance in washing?”

Motioning towards the bottles, I laughed softly. “I wasn’t quite sure what to use, so some help would be welcome.” I leaned into his chest, rubbing my backside against him and felt something hard press against my lower back, drawing a soft moan from my lips. My heart hammered in my chest as I waited for Tor’ac to move towards the bottles, but instead I felt soft pricks along my shoulder where he nipped my skin. 

I leaned my head to the side, and Tor’ac accepted my invitation with small nips up my shoulder and to my neck. Reaching up, I stroked along his cheek, feeling the muscles of his mandibles working under his wet skin as he nipped along my neck. His hands slid up my stomach to my breasts, roughly gripping them at first before loosening his hold as his fingers circled around my nipples. I barely noticed the water still falling on us.

Turning around to face him, I was a little nervous about looking over his entire body, but my eyes soon looked down. I couldn’t help it, as I had to see Tor’ac in all of his alien masculinity. Looking from his massive chest to his taut stomach, my gaze drifted lower, and he was thick and long… At least both thicker and longer than what I had seen before. And definitely standing ready.

I swallowed slowly as Tor’ac reached out to lightly stroke my wet cheek, coaxing my gaze up to look at him. “You are nervous, Meeya…”

“A little… but it’s okay, Tor’ac,” I said, placing my own hand over his along my cheek and smiling at him. “It’s okay because it’s you.”

“I will go slow until you tell me otherwise then,” he growled deeply to me, placing his free hand along my side and sliding his palm over my hip. Bending down, he brushed his mandibles over my brow as the water rained down, washing over our bodies.

His fingers smoothed down my upper thigh and then back up the inside, sending shivers through me as he lightly cupped the juncture of my legs. Slipping one thick finger inside, Tor’ac stroked the warm wetness before sliding another finger in, taking care not to prick me with his claws. I closed my eyes with a soft gasp as his fingers slowly stroked me, nearly falling back against the wall if he had not caught me around the waist, pulling my body against his.

When I moved my hips against his, Tor’ac purred heavily in his chest and edged me over to the wall. The heat of the metal felt good against my back as he pulled his fingers away from me. Reaching around me, my mate cupped his hands under my thighs, lifting me off my feet and spreading my legs at the same time. 

I held onto his shoulders and leaned against the wall in a somewhat more comfortable position, and Tor’ac placed his body between my legs. My heart pounded hard inside my chest as I watched him position the tip of his length at my entrance. Slowly, he pushed inside of me, the sheer thickness of him starting to fill me below. I inhaled deeply and exhaled a long breath in an attempt to relax my body as he slid more inside of me. 

It was good that Tor’ac was going slow as it had been awhile for me, though I doubted others could have prepared me for him. I winced and hissed out a breath as a twinge of pain came from below. He must have seen my wince because he stopped and purred deeply, beckoning me closer with a tilt of his head. 

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled my torso closer to him and felt his warm chest vibrating against mine. _‘Oh, his heat…’_ I thought, relaxing into him and resting my brow along his shoulder. Tor’ac pressed inside of me more, still holding me up and supporting all of my weight now. His thumbs brushed along my wet skin, moving in slow circles. 

“My Meeya,” he growled near my ear, and I shivered against his body, rubbing my cheek along his shoulder.

I gripped around his neck a bit tighter, whispering, “My Tor’ac.”

His purr became even louder as the sound seemed to resonate throughout my entire body rather than just my chest. Then, our hips pressed together and I knew all of him was buried deep inside of me; he didn’t move save for his chest expanding against me with each of his breaths. Circling my legs around his waist, I clung to him with all of my limbs, pressing against him as much as possible. 

Without any word, Tor’ac slowly moved his hips back, pulling out of me at the same time before pushing inside to fill me again. Each time he pulled back, it felt easier for him to return inside me, and I began moving with him, bucking against his hips when he thrust into me. I wanted to draw him deep within me as each time he drew back I felt empty. 

Remembering what gripping his dreads had done to him before, I slowly grasped a handful and lightly tugged against them. Tor’ac released a throaty growl as his pace increased, thrusting a bit harder into me and I cried out in surprised pleasure. I tugged on his dreads again, and he moved to press my back against the wall as his hips slapped mine with his faster pace. There was no way I could try and match him, though my legs clenched around his waist as I rode him. 

My blood rushed through my limbs, heating me almost as much as Tor’ac’s body did, and I gasped for breath at each of his thrusts. I felt my inner walls clamp down hard on him even as his hips still pumped against mine. The heat rushing through my body finally pooled in between my legs, and I screamed out his name as my body arched against him, closing my eyes. 

I heard Tor’ac growl out my name as he thrust fervently against me until I felt him release inside, his roar thundered along the walls and vibrated me entirely. Liquid heat engulfed me as it rushed through my inner passage, his hips pressed tightly to mine as his length still pumped in me. He rested his cheek against the side of my head, panting as heavily as I was. 

Holding onto him, my arms and legs both felt so limp. I finally noticed my wet hair plastered to my back as my awareness of the rest of the world returned. “And here… I thought this was just a giant shower.”

“Would you still like… me to help you wash, Meeya?” he growled with a throaty chuckle, still panting for breath.

“Think I’m a bit… too tired for that,” I replied while rubbing my cheek against his. “Do you think I need to?”

Tor’ac leaned his head back enough to stare into my eyes, and I watched him open his mandibles to inhale deeply. With a hooded gaze, he purred heavily with that breath, growling, “Your scent is remarkable… I think washing can wait. Besides… I wouldn’t want to remove my scent from you right now.”

I felt the heat of blush crawl along my face, and I smiled as he stepped back from the wall still carrying me. “I wouldn’t want to do that either.” Groaning softly when he pulled free of me, I uncurled my legs from around him, leaning against him as I stood on shaky legs. 

Reaching for the panel along the wall, Tor’ac stopped the flowing water, but lucky for me it was still rather warm inside the column. He rubbed his mandibles against my brow before guiding me towards the entrance. When he opened the door, I was surprised that the outside was almost as warm as inside the column. “It’s warmer than it was before, not that I’m complaining after our… shower.”

“The bathing area adjusts temperature automatically so that we don’t get too chilled following a… shower,” he purred, pulling me against his hot body tighter as we stepped outside and onto a soft-furred mat. Removing his arm, Tor’ac stretched around me and then draped a long cloth around my shoulders. His hands gently rubbed the cloth over my wet torso, making sure to dry me everywhere even the soles of my feet and my palms.

I blushed at his attentiveness, saying, “I can do that, Tor’ac… you don’t have to.”

“I want to, Meeya, at least this time.” He moved the towel up to cover my hair, patting and rubbing to soak up as much of the water from my hair as possible. 

“What about you?”

Meeting my eyes, Tor’ac pulled another cloth from behind where I stood and wrapped it around his waist. Then, he chirred as I moved in towards him and unwrapped the cloth, rubbing it over him as he had done for me. He groaned when I dried below his stomach, and I flushed with heat before moving on to dry more of his form. I had to stretch a bit to reach his head, but he leaned down to make it easier to dry his crest and the top of his dreads. Those, I dried with gentle rubs, and even that didn’t stop a low drawn-out purr from his chest. 

Once both of us were fairly dry, I wrapped my cloth around my chest to offer additional warmth as Tor’ac wrapped his around his waist again. He curled an arm around my shoulders, pulling me to him as we headed towards the bedroom. The massive round bed was just like the one on the cruiser only much larger and set against the wall farthest from the door. 

Pulling back the thick top covering and thin sheet, Tor’ac removed his cloth and slipped onto the bed, turning onto his side and still holding up the covers for me. I barely hesitated as I dropped my towel from around me, settling onto the bed and moving closer to him. He lowered the covers, wrapping us in a cocoon of warmth mostly emitting from his body. His arms curled around my back, drawing me against his warm, welcoming and rumbling chest. 

I tried to stifle my yawn in vain as I covered my gaping mouth, and then looked up to see my mate yawning as his mandibles spread wide. Giggling a little, I smiled, saying, “I suppose it is time for us to rest, Tor’ac.”

He trilled softly and nodded. “We will need it for tomorrow, Meeya. You’ll be meeting the other sol’rachs and will need to select a mentor to guide you through the tasks of becoming a sol’rach yourself. And…”

I lifted my head when he paused, waiting for him to continue. His brow furrowed deeply as he looked off to the side, and I immediately thought about Ka’jai. “And… we’ll be going to see Ka’jai tomorrow, too, right?”

Tor’ac raised a brow when he turned towards me again, his mandibles raised in a ‘smile.’ “My mate is very astute. Yes, I need to speak with him… and see who is guarding him.”

“Who’s guarding him? Why?” I frowned a bit at the concerned tone in his voice.

“Let’s just say… I want to make sure my brother is kept safe, Meeya,” he growled softly, reaching up to brush a finger along my cheek. “I shouldn’t speak like this when we should be resting… especially during our first night together.”

Laying my head against his chest, I wrapped my arm around his stomach and caressed his side. “We should definitely get some rest then, especially if we’re going to have more nights like this together.” I smiled up at him, rubbing my cheek along his chest.

“We definitely will have many more nights like this,” he rumbled and pulled me on top of him, making me cry out in surprise. “You’ll be warmer this way, Meeya.”

Raising my head, I smiled and shook my head at him before leaning close to kiss his mandibles. I didn’t even pause when he spread them so I could kiss his inner mouth, smiling when his mandibles brushed over my cheeks. “Good night, my Tor’ac,” I whispered.

“Good night, my Meeya,” he rumbled as I laid my head against his chest once more and closed my eyes for sleep.

 

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween brings out some interesting people. But what happens when one of them happens to be the real deal? What's a library student to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: What You Never Know (Won't Hurt You?)  
> Author: LadyofParchments  
> Chapter: Thirteen  
> Fandom: Predator AU  
> Warnings: Adult Situations, Graphic Violence/Gore, Sexual Situations  
> Orientation: Het  
> Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator  
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Predator or AVP franchise and earn no monetary funds for composing this work of fiction. However, all original characters found herein are my own and therefore should not be used in any other work of fiction without my express written permission.

# Chapter 13

[Ka’jai’s POV]

Sitting in the center of the prison cell, I closed my eyes and let my mind clear. I thought of nothing but the heavy shackles that bound my wrists. How far had I fallen from where I’d been? A respected arbitrator captain now a possible Bad Blood. And I had ooman blood on my hands beside that.

I opened my eyes and growled, knowing those oomans needed to die. They had sealed their fates when they approached Tor’ac’s ooman in a threatening manner.

“Bad Bloods must not be allowed to thrive,” I chuffed at the irony of my justification in killing them.

Still it was doubtful Ga’av would have sent Tor’ac to find and arrest me if there weren’t questions behind my new label. That was some comfort. I had truly brought this misfortune upon myself in acting without thinking once again. My father’s voice echoed through my mind. _‘You must think, Son, before barreling through an obstacle. What if a Kainde Amedha waits on the other side of a wall?’_

“How right you were, Father…” I mumbled with a heavy sigh. _‘At least you and Mother aren’t alive to see it… then again, perhaps you would have acted even worse if you knew what happened to her.’_

Shaking my head at that train of thought, I closed my eyes again. Tor’ac’s ooman came to my mind… Meeya was her name, and I recalled the way she had embraced me when she thought I was my brother. _‘Such a warm envelopment of her arms that she gave me…’_ I envied Tor’ac for that. It had been so long since I had felt even a familial embrace from La’rn.

Tilting my head to the side, my curiosity piqued at Tor’ac’s interest in her and why he had remained with the ooman when he should have searched for me. I raised a brow and thought of So’len’s affinity for ooman females, pondering if he’d influenced Tor’ac. I shook my head with a heavy sigh, thinking, _‘It’s one thing to do so on Urth… but if he brought her here…’_

There was no reason I could tell at least why my brother would think of choosing an ooman female as his mate. But only Tor’ac would know that reasoning.

 _‘At least she seems honorable… more so than some Yautja females I could name.’_ I growled low in my throat as one came to mind, and my vision bled red as I clenched my fists, slamming them against the floor. 

“What are you doing in there, Bad Blood?” my guard growled from the other side of my cell door followed by a heavy metallic thud. “Keep quiet!”

“Do not refer to him by that name until it has been decided by the High Arbitrator,” I heard a familiar voice hiss at the guard, and I looked up as the cover of the small opening slid aside. The top part of Duk’ar’s face appeared in the opening. “It’s time to eat, Ka’jai.”

“I’ll decide when he can and when he cannot eat,” the guard snarled. “What does a cook know anyway?”

I watched Duk’ar’s eyes narrow as he glanced to the side before turning and moving out of view. A strangled growl came from the other side of the door, and I heard Duk’ar softly growl, “I know there are certain meats and roots that would make a full-grown Yautja so ill he would wish for the Black Hunter. And I can see to it that those who cause trouble while guarding this male receive that for their meals each and every day.”

“Duk’ar,” another familiar voice growled. “Let Ch’or go, I’m here to relieve him under orders of Captain Tor’ac.”

Ch’or gasped for breath from what I could hear, and what I guessed were his footsteps soon faded down the corridor. I watched the opening as the top part of So’len’s face came into view, and I clicked, “So’len… Duk’ar…”

So’len held up a hand to stop me from saying anything more. “I have my doubts about your actions, Ka’jai, but as Tor’ac is my captain, I will trust his judgment. For the duration of your incarceration, I will be one of your guards.”

“And those are Tor’ac’s orders?” I asked after a moment of silence had passed. When So’len gave me a silent stare, I nodded and said no more. 

Duk’ar came into view next to So’len, setting a small tray of food on the long flat ledge at the bottom of the opening. “As I said before it’s time to eat.”

I slowly stood and approached the door, raising my hands up so both Yautja could see them before I took the tray. It was strange how eating helped to quell the thoughts running through my mind as I focused on tasting and savoring each piece of food. Even as a prisoner, I was still granted that luxury though it was the simplest of meats and roots. Once I finished, I placed the tray back on the ledge, watching Duk’ar take it back.

“Thank you,” I clicked, looking at both of them.

So’len and Duk’ar nodded to me before the opening was closed, and I was engulfed in complete darkness once more.

 

[Tor’ac’s POV]

I breathed slowly and evenly to prevent waking Meeya from the movement of my chest. It had been a restful night for the most part though my night images had been of memories from before Ga’av had sent me to Urth. My mother’s body lying prone on the floor of her room, the gaping hole in her chest and the small, dead Kainde Amedha were the only signs of her cause of death. 

Ka’jai was with me, clenching and unclenching his fists as he hissed and growled from the sight. I couldn’t blame him especially when my own vision was starting to bleed, but the night images then shifted to the floor covered with Yautja blood. Five bodies lay on the blood-stained floor, and I knew that my brother had been the cause of their deaths. 

_‘Ka’jai…’_ I thought with a heavy sigh, and then cursed myself as I looked down as Meeya stirred on top of me. Rubbing my hand along her back, I held her close to my chest, nuzzling her hair.

“Mmm… Tor’ac?” she asked softly, raising her head and yawning as she rubbed her eyes. “Did you sleep well?”

A rumble came from my chest as I clicked to her, “Yes, better than I had in a long time. And you, Meeya?”

Smiling at me, Meeya nodded and stretched her back and arms as she sat up. “Very well, I feel like I was sawing logs.”

“‘Sawing logs?’” I asked, blinking at her. 

“It’s a term meaning… I might have been snoring,” she said, looking away as her face colored a bit. “Which I hope I didn’t.”

Trilling with laughter, I cupped her cheek in my palm, turning her head towards me again. “If you did, I heard nothing. But… there’s something I’d like to hear now… only if you’re up to it.” I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her on top of me, my hands moving down to cup her round hips.

Meeya blinked at me as her face colored even more, drawing a purr from my throat as I enjoyed seeing her skin turn a deeper pink. “Well then… good morning to you, too.” She no doubt meant my growing presence between her legs, and it took much of my restraint to not just ravish her. 

With her scent as strong as it was in our chambers, I couldn’t help thinking about our previous time together. I sat up and gently pulled her legs around my waist, and she laid her hands along my chest, sliding them up and over my shoulders as I leaned in towards her neck. Flaring my mandibles, they pricked her skin as my inner mouth nipped at her neck, breathing in her scent at the same time.

“Tor’ac…” she murmured, pressing the soft mounds of her breasts against my hard chest. My fingers tightened their grip on her hips and I shuddered pleasantly against her form. 

Moving my mouth close to her ear, I growled, “Guide me inside.”

She nodded and reached between us, grasping my length and squeezing before pressing the tip against her opening. Already I could feel her heart beating wildly inside her chest, and she wrapped her arms around me again.

My hips moved, entering her tight warmth and drawing out another low growl from my throat. Feeling Meeya press against me, I circled my hands along her rump, letting her go at her pace while also coaxing her a bit. When her hips moved back, I shifted away from her before both of us thrust forward to join again.

Leaning close to her, I flared my mandibles and inhaled her strong scent, sighing heavily at Meeya’s arousal. I rubbed my face against her soft hair and felt the slight tickling as it brushed over my skin. Then, I felt her mouth along my neck and purred to her as my hands circled around to squeeze her rump.

Slowly trailing one hand up her back, I held Meeya against me while moving to lay her back against the bed with me hovering over her. She gazed up at me with hooded eyes while still moving her hips into mine, her arms hesitantly unwinding from my neck. I raised my mandibles and brought my hands from under her, sliding my palms up her sides to cup her breasts.

My fingers grasped the supple mounds, hearing soft moans from my mate as she closed her eyes and arched her back. Her hips still thrust against me as mine met hers at the same pace before thrusting a bit harder. Moving down, my mandibles flared as my inner mouth closed on her right breast, circling my tongue around her nipple. She cried out and bucked harder into my hips, and I felt her hands along my shoulders before her fingers gripped some of my locks.

A growl rumbled deep in my chest as my eyes rolled back when Meeya clasped my locks, and I bit down on her breast harder than I’d intended. To my relief, even though I heard her cry out again, it was more of a moan as her hands buried themselves in my locks. The pleasure was too much as my thrusts inside her became harder and faster, and I released her breast to draw in a deep breath.

When her walls clamped around my length, I barely heard Meeya’s shriek before I followed with an ecstatic roar. Her arms held tightly to me as I pumped my hot seed inside of her, bucking my hips and purring to my mate. “My Meeya…”

“My… my Tor’ac…” she panted out, looking at me with a smile. 

I leaned down to nuzzle into the crook of her neck, hearing her laugh and making her squirm beneath me. My hips thrust one last time inside her before I slowly pulled out, lying next to Meeya with one arm still curled around her. 

“I-is that going to be… a morning wake-up call?” Meeya asked, still trying to catch her breath while smiling at me.

Trilling with laughter, I brushed my mandibles against her cheek. “Not always, Meeya… but I couldn’t get last night out of my mind.”

“Mmm, honestly… neither could I,” she said as her face colored again. The buzzing of the entrance comm made her flinch, and I rubbed my hand over her shoulder. 

“That’s the entrance communicator. I’ll be back,” I chirred, nuzzling into her hair before rising from the bed. Growling to myself, my eyes narrowed into a glare as I grabbed a cloth from the storage compartment, tying it around my waist as I entered the trophy room and strode to the door. _‘This had better be something important.’_

Pressing the panel next to the entry, I growled, “Yes?”

“I just thought you both might want a private early meal, Tor’ac,” La’rn’s voice trilled through the speaker.

My eyes immediately softened as I entered the code to open the door, seeing my sister there with not only a tray of food but a bundle at her side. I moved to let her inside, and La’rn practically bounced into my chambers. 

“Thank you for bringing the food, La’rn, but what’s that other bundle? You didn’t bring food to last us a week, did you?” I chirred, raising a brow at her.

“Of course not, there’s too much for you and Meeya to do to remain cooped up in your chambers.” La’rn hissed and waved her hand dismissively. She was one of the few that could get away with this motion around me. “These, my brother, are several new dresses for my new sister. I couldn’t sleep last night, so I thought I’d get started on Meeya’s clothes.”

Trilling and nodding my head, I took the bundle from La’rn, chirring, “She will be happy to have these, La’rn… especially since her other clothes were… misplaced.”

“Tor’ac, did you ask So’len to ‘misplace’ them?” My sister growled softly even as her mandibles rose in a grin. 

I rolled my shoulders up in a shrug, then motioned my head towards a small storage compartment near my trophy wall. “I only asked him to place them inside one of the secondary storage areas, and since Meeya hasn’t asked about it yet…”

“Ah, yes of course,” she chirred, then patted my shoulder, handing me the tray of food. “Well, I won’t keep you from your meal or your mate. Enjoy the food with Duk’ar’s compliments and the clothes with mine.”

“Thank you again, La’rn.” I raised my mandibles to her as she strode towards the door, but she hesitated just as she reached it.

La’rn turned to face me, worry evident in her eyes. “Will you… be going to see Ka’jai today?”

“I will, and in truth I need to see him.”

She paused, looking off to the side. “Please tell him that I hope he is well… and… that I believe in him.”

“La’rn, I will tell him, but you know you can go to see him as long as you have Duk’ar, Sol’en, or myself with you,” I reminded her, curious as to why she wouldn’t want to see him with her own eyes.

Shaking her head, La’rn met my gaze with a hurt look. “I cannot face him right now, Tor’ac… but I hope to do so soon.” With that said, she left and I watched the door slide closed behind her.

 

[Mya’s POV]

I stared at the bedroom door with the covers pulled over me for warmth, waiting for Tor’ac to return. The chill of space would take more time in getting used to, especially when I didn’t have his hot body pressed against me. Shivering more from memory than the cold, I closed my eyes before hearing the door slide open, looking up to see him enter.

Smiling at Tor’ac, I saw a tray of food in one hand, which he set down on the bed in front of me. In his other hand was a rectangular bundle and I tilted my head curiously at it before looking up at him. “I didn’t know we got room service.”

“Just for today since La’rn wanted to do this for us,” he chirred and raised his mandibles in a smile. He noticed my gaze move to the bundle, and he offered it to me. “These are also from La’rn, a gift to her new sister.”

Taking the bundle, I blinked and noticed several straps wrapped around it. While my fingers itched to unwrap the gift, my growling stomach informed me of a more pressing matter. I glanced at Tor’ac, blushing and saying, “I guess I’ll have to wait and open it after we’ve eaten.”

“That would be best from what I hear,” he trilled, not even bothering to dodge my smack to his arm. “We should eat soon as there is much to do today.”

“What’s first on the agenda?” I asked, picking up a large piece of naan and taking a bite. There were several piles of fruits I’d seen from last night’s dinner along with a platter of long strips of a deep pink meat that I hoped was fully cooked. I also noticed two small pitchers of a thick liquid, one a deep golden color and the other a dark red. 

As Tor’ac sat beside me, he picked up another piece of naan along with the pitcher of dark red liquid. He tilted the pitcher enough to pour a long, thick line of the liquid, which was more like a paste of some kind, on part of his naan. Folding the naan, he took a bite and swallowed before answering. “First, we will go see Ka’jai. I want to make sure his first night was… without issue.”

“‘Without issue?’” I repeated, blinking at him and raising an eyebrow. “Do you think he might have had trouble sleeping?”

“Hopefully that would be his only trouble,” Tor’ac growled, looking off to the side while taking another bite of the naan and red paste. 

Although my worry rose several levels, I couldn’t bring myself to ask further questions without upsetting Tor’ac. Instead, I pointed at the pitchers, asking, “What’s inside those?”

“Ah, these are sweet pats, the darker one is rogunberi and the lighter one is jeltoni,” he trilled while eating more of his naan. 

“I take it you like the… rogoon-berry more?” I smiled at him while reaching for that pitcher. Slowly tipping it, I poured a short line of it on my naan, taking a bite. It had a rich sweetness that filled your mouth the more you chewed it, and it went very well with the naan. “Mmm, I can see why you like it.”

Tor’ac chirred to me, his gaze soft and warm as I looked at him. “It is one of my favorites of the sweet pats. I would like to save the jeltoni for later.”

Tilting my head at him, I nodded as he picked up that pitcher and set it aside and off the tray. There was definitely more than enough for both of us on the tray, and I wondered why La’rn felt the need to bring food for almost the whole day. As I thought about the claiming ceremony last night, I wondered if it was for courtesy… or safety. 

“After we’ve spoken with Ka’jai, I will take you to meet with the other sol’rachs, and you’ll choose one as a mentor,” Tor’ac chirred, finishing off his naan and reaching for some of the long strips of meat. 

“I get to choose?” I asked him after eating the last of my naan. 

Inhaling deeply, Tor’ac tilted his head to the side as his brow furrowed a bit. “While you will choose a sol’rach… it is up to them to agree to become your mentor.”

My stomach tightened before I asked, “What if none of them agree?”

“One will… I’m certain of it,” he growled with a resolute nod. Tor’ac reached out to cover my hand on the bed with his. “It might take some time, but you will earn your rank as a sol’rach, Meeya.”

While my stomach still felt twisted, I had to have faith in Tor’ac’s belief in me, and I smiled up at him. “Well, we won’t be able to do that sitting here, right? Breakfast then get dressed and visit Ka’jai.”

We ate more of our breakfast, and I was relieved that the pink meat was indeed fully cooked and not as spicy as the ‘kare’ meat from last night. It had a taste that reminded me of pork, and it’s appearance was a lot like thick strips of bacon only not quite as crispy. I made a mental note to ask Duk’ar if he would show me around the kitchen during an off time. 

Unwrapping the bundle, which La’rn had carefully bound in a long piece of sturdy cloth, I held up each dress for both Tor’ac and me to see. There were five in total, and I was astounded by the speed and skill that La’rn possessed to craft such unique dresses in such a short amount of time. While I wanted to try on each one, my mate’s restless motions reminded me that time was of the essence.

I finally settled on a deep blue dress that laced up in the back along with two sets of ties bound behind my neck, and the space between the ties showed off my clan mark almost entirely. It was more modest than the one La’rn had fashioned the night before, but it still bared my shoulders, arms and the top part of my chest, which was once again bound in a strap of a bra. Tor’ac eagerly helped me into my dress, and I soon realized that nearly all of the new dresses would require his assistance to wear.

“La’rn has a unique sense of style,” I said with a wry grin as Tor’ac handed me my brush and large hair clip. 

Chuckling, my mate stood behind me, placing his hands along my bare shoulders. “She has always had the gift of… form and function, which is why she is a highly-sought seamstress on the clanship. Even the High Arbitrator’s council and their mates come to use her skill.” 

Twisting my hair up, I slid the clip close to the top of the twist, then released my hair to fall over it. I ran my fingers through my hair, fluffing it more and hiding the clip as Tor’ac had advised last night, then turned around to look up at him. “Well, what do you think?”

Tor’ac’s gaze moved down my form and then back up to meet my questioning look with what I could have sworn was a grin. “Beautiful… though now I’m unsure if we should leave.” He hooked his arm around my waist, pulling me against his hard form, and leaned down to nuzzle his mandibles against my neck again.

Surprised by this behavior, I squeaked in laughter as he nuzzled one of my most ticklish places. My arm snaked around his waist, and I drummed my fingers against his side, which made him twitch in shock, though he still kept his arm around me. 

“Meeya…” Tor’ac sighed as he raised a brow, looking a bit hurt that I knew a vulnerable place on him. “I didn’t think you were paying attention when La’rn… did that before.”

I rubbed his side, pressing close to him and smiling. “Personally, I think it’s… well, don’t take this wrong… but I think it’s cute that you’re… sensitive there.” 

“‘Kyuut?’” he asked, tilting his head. 

“It’s nice and makes me happy to know that I’m not the only one that has… those kind of sensitive places.” I tried to explain as best I could without blushing or causing him embarrassment. 

Clearing his throat, Tor’ac rubbed his hand along my side, nuzzling against my cheek. “Be that as it may… I will make sure only to… touch those sensitive places when we are alone in our chambers.”

“Okay, Tor’ac, and I’ll do the same for you,” I said, gripping his side a bit. “I don’t want anyone getting any ideas about… my mate.”

“Nor do I,” he purred, giving me a heated look. “Come, we must be off, Meeya.”

I nodded and followed my mate as we left our chambers.

~~~

The prison cells were on a level almost a dozen floors beneath the arbitrators level, and I was shocked by the contrast between the two. As Tor’ac and I walked down a long corridor, no details had been carved into the stark, gray walls. Lights that were almost too bright lit up the hallway as we made our way towards the cells. 

Each cell was barred by a single door with thick metal bands crossing the door near the top and bottom. There were no openings I could see while glancing at the doors, though I noticed what looked like a sliding panel in the center of the door above my eye level.

Tor’ac strode at such a pace that I had to walk at double my normal pace just to keep up with him. Looking at my mate, I couldn’t blame him for his concern about his brother, but I still wondered what issues might have happened. Before I could think of something awful, I heard a familiar voice.

“Captain Tor’ac, it’s good to see you and Meeya again.”

So’len stood to the side of one cell that we stopped in front of, and Tor’ac nodded to him, asking, “How is he?”

“Quiet save for just before I arrived to relieve Ch’or from what I gathered. It was when Duk’ar was bringing Ka’jai’s early meal, and Ch’or got into a confrontation with him,” So’len clicked, shaking his head. “The younger warriors always have to learn the hard way with Duk’ar.”

“Learn what the hard way?” I asked as my curiosity got the better of me, looking between So’len and Tor’ac. 

Tor’ac shook his head with a chuff. “Duk’ar might be head of the cooks, but before that he was a scout and seeker on hunts. I’ll explain further later, Meeya. Is he awake now, So’len?”

Raising his fist, So’len knocked against the metal three times, growling, “Ka’jai, you have visitors.” He slid the panel I’d noticed before to the left, revealing an opening that appeared large enough for a tray of food. 

From within the cell, I heard movement but it was somewhat muffled due to the thickness of the door. I had to look up to see inside the opening, though it was hard to see much of anything in the dark cell and the lights above us didn’t offer much help. 

Then, the top part of Ka’jai’s face appeared in the opening, his eyes a dark gold with a ring of red around the center. Such fierce eyes shouldn’t look as weary as they did, but even with the glance he offered me, I guessed Ka’jai probably slept very little last night. He growled, “Tor’ac…”

“Ka’jai…” my mate clicked back. As I glanced at Tor’ac, even he seemed tired despite the night’s sleep he had. “You’ve looked better, Brother.”

Blinking at his comment, I heard a chuff of laughter from the cell as Ka’jai clicked, “I could say the same… yet you were still able to sleep.” I turned to the cell’s opening and saw his fiery stare on me again. 

Tor’ac curled his arm around my shoulders, drawing me against him as he said, “Sleep cannot always be restful… no matter what comforts we have.” He squeezed my shoulder gently and I pressed into his side. 

“It would be wise to take care of those comforts, Brother,” Ka’jai clicked as he looked away from both of us. “You know the manners of some Yautja on the clan ship… and rank doesn’t always mean anything to them.”

Almost immediately, So’len stepped in front of me, snarling, “Are you threatening the mate of an arbitrator captain?” He looked as though he would advance upon the imprisoned male, but Tor’ac stopped him as he gripped his second’s shoulder.

“Ka’jai is only speaking the truth, So’len, and you know that well enough,” Tor’ac clicked, pushing against So’len’s shoulder to urge him to the side. “And no… after what Ka’jai did for Meeya on Urth… he wouldn’t threaten her. Would you, Brother?”

 

[Ka’jai’s POV]

Shaking my head at So’len’s outburst, I knew why his reaction was so defensive even though it wasn’t necessarily for Tor’ac’s ooman mate. No doubt he remembered times when I would warn him against his affinity for the females on Urth. While it was only out of concern that we’d be discovered, So’len took it personally. 

Still for Tor’ac’s second to rise to her defense, I knew she would have a bit more protection. Looking at my brother, I clicked, “I have no reason to threaten your mate, Tor’ac. And I doubt she would give me one.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Meeya said next to Tor’ac, and I glanced at the little ooman again. Her mouth was curved up, and her eyes had a soft warmth that was different from the suspicion and then alertness I’d seen in them on Urth.

Nodding to her, I faced Tor’ac again, asking, “Was there anything more, Tor’ac? Or did you just want to be sure I was alive in the cell?”

Tor’ac sighed and furrowed his brow at my bluntness, but it was difficult not to read my own brother. It’s what made our bond so strong… and also what made being on opposite sides of a prison cell so tough for both of us.

“I asked for a trial to give us time to help you, Ka’jai… but your leaving the clan ship and fleeing to Urth hasn’t helped.” My brother fixed his stare on me. “Why did you choose to kill Captain Ro’khu and those seconds?”

Closing my eyes, I stepped back from the cell door and away from the question I couldn’t answer. I inhaled deeply and looked down at the shackles on my wrists, knowing it was a burden I chose to bear. There was no way I could tell my own brother even if it would free me from being labeled a Bad Blood. 

I heard him approach the opening and looked up to see Tor’ac’s dark green eyes pleading with me. “Did they have anything to do with her death? Is there proof? Tell me, Brother!” he hissed softly even though we both knew that So’len and Meeya could hear.

Taking another step back, I remained silent as I heard Tor’ac release a long breath and he stepped away from the door. I knew my freedom would likely come at the cost of other lives, and until I was certain, I wouldn’t endanger my family. They were all I had left.

“I won’t give up on you, Ka’jai,” Tor’ac growled, his eyes set in a fierce glare. “You are still my brother… I trust in you.”

I released a long breath and nodded to my brother, and then I heard Meeya say, “Tor’ac…” but everything after was too soft for me to hear.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” So’len’s voice came after, and Tor’ac growled, “Together then.”

Blinking at the opening, my brow furrowed at what was going on unseen between the three of them. Then, a large, mottled green hand and wrist came through the cell opening. A much smaller, pale hand and forearm entered after, and I could only stare at my brother and his mate’s hands… apparently reaching for me.

With slow steps, I moved towards the cell door and raised my hands to theirs, grasping Tor’ac’s hand in my left and gently taking Meeya’s hand in my right. I looked through what remained clear of the opening and saw both of them staring at me. 

“We will do everything we can to help you, Brother,” Tor’ac clicked to me.

Meeya’s mouth was still curved up… a ‘smile’ I think is what oomans called the facial expression. “And at least one of us will be here to see you each day.”

I stared at them, my younger brother whom I grew up with and had trained to become an arbitrator, and the ooman female who had drawn his attention for whatever reason. Tor’ac’s motive was clear as he was family. Meeya should have no motive to trust me… yet here she was, offering her trust and… attempting to comfort me? It was confusing as I didn’t always understand oomans and the reasons behind what they did. But at the same time… it was welcome. 

Squeezing both of their hands, I released them to slowly pull their arms back through the opening. I couldn’t get the words ‘thank you’ out as the opening was soon closed, and somehow I felt they weren’t enough. Not for what they did. _‘I trust you, Tor’ac… and I trust your belief in Meeya.’_

 

TBC


End file.
